The Reflection in the Mirror
by Hola-Meg-a-Cola
Summary: 25 years post 10K. For an act of kindness, Veronica suffers the penalty: her sister Tegan is stolen and taken away from their world. To save her, Veronica must enter the 9 Kingdoms and defeat the villian with the help of some likely and unlikely allies.
1. Introduction

_The Reflection in the Mirror_

An Introduction

I have been writing fan fiction since the tender age of twelve, and as you can imagine, most of it was bad; _really bad_, to be brutally honest. However, I have lived, learned, and progressed as a writer. Over time, I developed the patience to sit and write an intricate storyline and have learned the clichés of fan fiction and writing in general.

The point of the introduction is not to give you my biography, but rather, declare a statement. I am an elite bitch when it comes to fan fiction; if it's not canon, then remove it from my sight. I will not tolerate anything that is not possible within the grasp of the storyline.

However, I believe that "The 10th Kingdom" is one of the very few series that you can write futuristic elements to the story and would be able to make it work. The writer left the fans with more than enough material to write loads of lovely fan fiction with, whether it focus on Virginia and Wolf, Wendell and Anthony, or the kingdoms surrounding it.

I confess, this story is not centered on any of the original characters we fell in love with; however, their influence is heavy, and without their contributions or the original tale of the four who saved the nine kingdoms, I guess this story wouldn't be possible. Many are characters on the side, whom help these new set of heroes with their journey. They are the equivalents to the fairytale heroes that shaped the first series.

With that, I ask that you open your mind to these characters. If my writing needs improvements, feel free to tell me

Thank you for being patient enough to read this all. Now, let's begin!

_ Yours truly,_

_ Meghan aka Hola-Meg-a-Cola_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Without Further Ado, the Noble Prince Edwin

- ♥ -

_Once upon a time, in a far away land, there were nine kingdoms filled with magic, fairies, and poor girls becoming princesses. However, in these kingdoms there were also trolls, wolves, and wicked stepmothers running amok across the lands. Two hundred years ago the Golden Age occurred with the rise of the five women who changed history: Snow White, Cinderella, Queen Riding Hood, Gretel the Great, and the Lady Rapunzel. There was truly peace among the kingdoms._

_However, most of the great women passed on, leaving their heirs to succeed the throne. Tensions flared between kingdoms, and the Golden Age had clearly faded, leaving the countries and their inhabitants helpless in dark times. The kingdoms were truly in danger when one particular wicked stepmother tried to rule them all. Slipping from under her grasp were four heroes who defeated her and restored peace among the countries._

_Well, in a manner of speaking, of course._

"_Peace" was a light term to describe the diplomatic relations among the kingdoms. No wars were currently underway, but there was more than enough reason for any of the kingdoms to fight. Animosity between nations, particularly the Third and Eighth kingdoms, was thriving, causing distress among the rulers of the kingdoms. The greater evil had been solved, but others were left to come into fruition._

_At the edge of the continent, however, lay another kingdom that many had forgotten. Sitting on the horizon was the Sixth Kingdom, a nation under a terrible curse. Once ruled by the Lady Rapunzel, the entire country was under a state of slumber due to a curse placed by The Wicked Fairy over one hundred years ago. As far as anyone knew, there was no way to break the spell._

_But one man refused to believe such wives' tales._

_When Prince Edwin learned the fate of the Sixth Kingdom during his history lesson one fateful day, he thought it was preposterous; he never believed that magic was unbreakable, and what better way to establish his reign than to prove his hypothesis correct and establish excellent relations with the other kingdoms_

_Determined from the beginning, Edwin trained himself diligently for the tasks that lay before him._

- ♥ -

Prince Edwin rose from the dark waters that led into the castle, gasping for air. He looked around at his surroundings; blackness to anywhere the eye could see. Keeping his head above water, he paddled to nearest solid object, the base of the castle. Edwin pulled himself up, his wet clothes sagging him down. He dug his fingers into the floor as his body flopped onto the cobblestone, every inch of his body dripping from the filthy water.

_Dammit_, he thought to himself; he was making too much noise. Silence was priority in his mission. The tricks and puzzles of the Wicked Fairy's curse were difficult enough, but the threat of being bombarded by her goblin minions were just added stress.

Edwin sat briefly, catching his breath before standing up. He squeezed his soaked clothing, the water dripping out of them. The last thing he needed was to leave a trail of water where they could find him.

Quietly, he entered the basement of the castle, lit only by scattered torches on the wall. He ascended upon the stairs, his ears keen on any movement. As he reached the top, he heard the sound of two voices, low and gruff. Edwin hid behind a nearby wall, concealing himself from the conversers: two goblins in full battle armor leaning against the wall, laughing despicably.

"Have you heard the rumors?" One voice asked, his voice soft spoken. Edwin heard grumbling from the second goblin, as he replied, "Heard what? You spend too much time talking rather than doing your job."

"Oh, but I'm sure you'll find what I'm about to say very interesting," chimed the first goblin. The second one responded by grunting. The first continued, "There is word that someone has beaten the Mistress' first two defenses!"

The second goblin muttered, "Bah," and continued, "Rubbish. No one has challenged the Mistress in over sixty years!" It was silent for a moment when the goblin added, "Besides, if it were true, then the Mistress would have called us into action by now."

"You make a good point," The first goblin admitted, "I would be inclined to agree if Mistress hadn't been missing for most of the day!"

Edwin gulped silently. They were on to him, for he had arrived a fortnight before. Although the enemy was literally on the other side of the wall, it proved to be an advantage; he now knew the mindset, or at least some, of what the enemy knew.

"I won't believe it unless I see it," The second goblin believed firmly. Before his comrade could comment, the sound of others approached, abruptly halting. A firm voice announced clearly, "Fellow goblins, the Mistress has called the troops to meet in the ballroom for orders! We are to meet at approximately 2200 hours! At ease."

The sound of metal suits stomping across the hard floor faded away, leaving the two lone goblin soldiers.

"You see? I told you!" The first goblin exclaimed as they began exiting the room. The second scoffed at him, replying, "You know nothing; _if_ someone made it through the defenses, they're probably exhausted, and the Mistress will surely take care of that…"

Edwin wiped the cold sweat off his brow. No one ever said it was going to be easy.

- ♥ -

_Long ago, there was once a poor girl who lived in a far away land. Every day, she dreamed her prince would come and save her from the horribly wretched lands she lived in. But he never came._

"Coming, coming!" called Veronica, running towards the front door. She pulled open the door, revealing an elderly woman smiling softly. Veronica returned the smile, apologizing, "Mrs. Rothschild, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to keep you waiting, but I was blow drying my hair and- "

"Don't worry, Veronica dear, I wasn't there for long. How are you, darling?" Mrs. Rothschild replied politely. Veronica stepped aside, allowing the woman to walk fully into the apartment. "All right, I guess. I want to thank you again for watching Tegan; I wouldn't have called you but things came up and I didn't want to drag her all the way down to the Bow-"

Mrs. Rothschild placed her finger to Veronica's lips, silencing her. "Not another word; I'm more than happy to look after him. Now, you go and get ready for work," she ordered, allowing Veronica to run back into the bathroom.

Veronica plugged her straightener into the wall plug and began clamping her hair between it, allowing the steam to rise.

_Okay, so that's not entirely it. My name is Veronica Novak, and I live in Flushing, Queens. Not the "horribly wretched lands" like I described before, but I guess you can call it my own personal hell._

After several minutes of repeating the same process, Veronica turned off her straightener. She put on her makeup, working her eyeliner under her eyes.

_I'm attending the New York Academy of Art. Yes, I am an ar_teest_; I live and breathe it. I love all forms of art: portraits, oil paintings, modern- you name it! It is my life!_

Veronica pulled her long, dark brown hair behind her ears, bobby-pinning it in place. Zipping up her gray hoodie, she then grabbed her black and green bag and threw it over her shoulder.

_And how does an artist like my self afford to live? Well, I'm a licensed tattoo artist. Some find it degrading, but I love it. The needles freaked me out at first, but I got over it fast. Designing them and making them come to life are half the fun; the other is the reactions on customers' faces._

Veronica entered the next room, where a girl no more than six years old sat. The little girl turned her head. "You're leaving, Ronny?" She asked sadly. Veronica puckered her lips, kneeling near the girl. "Cheer up, Tegz- I'll be back tonight. Be good for Mrs. Rothschild, okay?"

The girl smiled and hugged her. "Okay, Ronny; be back soon!"

_This is Tegan, my baby sister. Unfortunately for us, we share the same poor excuse for mother. Shortly after Tegan was born, my mother filed for divorce from my dad. She tried to get sole custody of us, which I refused, but the judge saw through her and gave _my dad_ it instead; it would have helped if she didn't cheat on my father with her current husband._

Veronica ran down the street, shouting to the bus driver as he was about to close the doors. She ran into the bus and sat down next to an elderly black man, engrossed in his paper.

_I know artists' works rarely become popular until they're dead, but that's fine by me. I'm hoping by going to NYAA, I'm able to expand my knowledge of art and make something profound someday. However, the tuition is steep; the only reason why I'm going to school now is because my mother's husband is paying. I mean, my grades are good and everything but I wish sometimes I wouldn't have to rely on other people. I depend on my father, my stepfather…_

She sighed, sinking into her seat.

_I want to be independent. I want to be remembered. I want to be the girl from Flushing who made something of herself._

- ♥ -

Edwin concealed himself on the outskirts of the ballroom as the goblin troops awaited "The Mistress," known to the outside world as the Wicked Fairy. She was the same fairy who cursed the Sixth Kingdom into their eternal slumber, particularly Princess Briar Rose, also known as Sleeping Beauty.

During his intense studies of the Sixth Kingdom, Edwin had developed a strong interest in her. Call it him being a hormonal teenager, but he was infatuated with beautiful princess. It was because of her christening that the curse was placed by the scorned Wicked Fairy, who was purposely _not_ invited. At sixteen, she had pricked her finger upon a spinning wheel that set into motion the curse.

For the first forty years, prince after prince, knight after knight, noble after noble attempted to break the curse, all failing. The last was the lively Prince Hans of the Fifth Kingdom; he was smart and healthy and was the only one to pass the first defense, only to be killed and displayed by the Wicked Fairy when she challenged him.

Afterwards, it became widely believed that the spell over the Sixth Kingdom was unbreakable. Not long after, it was considered fact.

The grumbling of the goblin troops continued until a harsh, feminine voice rang out, "Silence, all of you! When in my presence, you will hold your filthy tongues!" The soldiers stiffened, forming military position and held their heads high. "Yes, oh Mistress, we obey!" They said in unison.

In walked a woman of Amazon proportions, tall and curvaceous. Her fair, white skin reflected off her velvet black dress which clung to every curve on her body. The sunkissed locks hung loosely and her thick lips were cherry red; she was stunningly alluring yet profoundly dangerous.

"You may have heard the rumors going about, that someone has infiltrated the castle. I must unfortunately tell you that these are true; for the first time since I placed the curse, someone has gotten this far. For nearly an entire day, I used my magic to attempt to find whoever is here; all I could come up with is a man waiting outside the gates, sleeping in the forest."

Edwin cringed; he had enlisted an old family friend to lead him to the Sixth Kingdom. It was difficult enough to have him agree to do it, but now he was putting _his_ life at risk. The prince's attention returned to the Wicked Fairy, as she continued her speech:

"I would have questioned him unmercilessly, but I would have had to distract myself with him rather than looking over my castle, so I sparred him. I still cannot find the man we are looking for; the magic is too strong, even for me. So I am sending you, my loyal goblin troops, to find him for me unless I find a spell to recover him. You have received you mission; set forth!"

Edwin gulped; this was the last thing he needed. Quickly removing himself from his hiding place, he quietly ran to the nearest room before the Wicked Fairy could sense him; an ancient family magic was his only source of protection, and if she sensed-

"I smell it, that strong magic!" The Wicked Fairy roared, over the marching goblin troops. Edwin's blood ran cold; _Damn!_ "Go forth in that direction, you fools!"

Giving up on being quiet, Edwin bolted, the sound of clanking armor causing his heart to beat faster. His eyes bolted from side to side, looking for the nearest room; it was on his left and he entered quickly, shutting the door and locking it.

He tried to catch his breath as he leaned against the door, hearing the hollers of the nasty goblin forces. Looking around, Edwin recognized that he was in the castle kitchen from the pots and pans scattered about.

He was observing the contents when something caught his attention; what he thought was spices weren't that at all. Ed read the labels on the thin tubes only to find they were written in Latin. Carefully, he reviewed in his head all the Latin he learned in his schooling- which he also forgot. Finally it became clear; they were the Wicked Lady's stored potions!

Edwin was particularly proud of himself for his intuitive skills, but was unable to revel in this as several thuds came across the door, startling him. Although goblins were not by nature the smartest creatures, they still managed to find him. The prince returned to the viles, deciphering it: transforming potions, that particular one with the power to transform a man into a newt. He placed the vile back and searched through the large rack of them, hearing the goblins on the other side.

A sharp _thwack_ came at the door, causing Edwin to glance at it; there was a slight crack which would only get worse as the goblins continued pounding. Panicking, Edwin grabbed the next vile he saw and gulped it down; he bent over and dry heaved, completely disgusted by the taste of the potion. His body began to ache in every place to ache and he moaned involuntarily, dropping to his knees.

- ♥ -

Veronica was resting her eyes when she noticed the bus was no longer moving. Turning around, she noticed the swell of cars in front of and behind the bus. _Shit_, she thought to herself, _Yankee traffic_. She briefly dug in her bag until she found her cell phone and opened it, quickly texting her friend, 'Are you at the _Emporium_? Tell Jeff I'm gonna be late, I'm in traffic.'

She closed her cell phone and held it until she felt it vibrate. Opening it, the response read, 'He's not gonna be happy, but okay. You still doing it when you get here, right?'

'Yes, I am. Cool it.'

- ♥ -

The wooden door finally relented and cracked open, allowing the goblin soldiers to flow in. They looked around, knocking over tables, chairs, and anything else in their general direction. One particular goblin, decorated in medals, threw the tableware against the floor, not for any real purpose. His ears perked up as he heard a low noise from atop the cupboards; a small creature was perched there, its yellow eyes glaring back.

Twitching his long, green nose, he proclaimed loudly, "The bastard has escaped! Quickly, we must continue the hunt!" Redirecting their focus elsewhere, they left as fast as they had arrived.

The Wicked Fairy walked silently down the great halls of the castle, viewing the destruction of her goblin army. _Filthy_, she thought as she saw ancient tapestries shredded into pieces.

She passed the door to the kitchen, left in splinters. They would repair everything they had destroyed she decided, the remains of the door crushed under her heels.

Before she could take another step, something startled her. The Wicked Fairy looked at her feet, watching as a common household cat passed her. There was something about the fluffy cat, its white and gray coat vivid in the dim halls. It looked at the fairy briefly, its yellow eyes glaring at her. The Mistress stared back, her eyes never leaving the feline even as it walked down the hall.

Immediately, she ran into the kitchen, stepping over the mess her troops left. The Wicked Fairy breathed a sigh of relief; the little monsters had not touched her potions. Approaching it slowly, she read the viles one by one, across the rows. She stopped, noticing one was missing, one that would be missed: _felis catus_, or the domestic cat.

Slamming the vile against the floor, the Wicked Fairy howled with anger; the intruder was smarter than he appeared. She was done playing fair, not that she did to begin with, and stormed out of the kitchen.

- ♥ -

_I should probably leave_, Lukas thought to himself, leaning against a tree. He didn't know how he got swindled into helping _Prince Edwin_ get to the Sixth Kingdom; hell, going to this kingdom was suicide, and he sure had too much life left in him. _He's a family friend_, a voice in his head reminded him.

He grumbled; the conscience was a pesky thing, and at times he was tempted to just sell it to the highest bidder and make a profit. _Yeah, that's it_, he said to himself, _Whether or not Edwin makes is out alive, I'm getting out of here_… Lukas felt himself slipping into a nap, something he had been taking a lot of. His breaths softened, become slower and slower…

Too slow, actually; Lukas' eyes shot open to a stunning blonde vixen standing before him, hell in her eyes. Before he could jump up, he realized that he wasn't leaning against the tree at all; rather, he was levitating in midair, held up by an invisible force clamping at his throat. It was becoming a bit too much.

"Er… Can I help you?" Lukas uttered as charming as he could get. The blonde vixen's arm was extending toward him, her hand steady. "I believe you can. Allow me to introduce myself; I prefer the term 'Mistress,' but I guess you would know me best as 'The Wicked Fairy.'"

Lukas mentally groaned; _She got Edwin, now she's after me. Thanks, Princey_. "Your name rings a bell. What can I do you for?" He asked, his hands clawing at the force that was cutting off his air supply.

The Wicked Fairy crinkled her nose, answering nonchalantly, "You brought the intruder of my country here. That is a crime punishable by death and I've come to enforce the law." He whimpered, cursing mentally, _Whether you're alive or not, Ed, you're a dead man!_

"Really, I had no idea at all. Actually, he had told me that he was trying to improve tracking abilities when we came across your country. I swear I'm innocent," he lied through his teeth, "Is there any leeway for a plea bargain?"

She had almost laughed in his face; she could smell a con man a mile away and fortunately for her, one was in her presence. "Perhaps, but only if you cooperate," the Wicked Fairy teased, catching his attention. "I'll send you back to your kingdom, but on just… a _few_ conditions."

Lukas bit his bottom lip; her offer was tempting, very tempting actually. It didn't help that she was a 'knock out' either. _Well, Princey, it was nice knowing you, but I must bid you _adieu. "Your wish is my command."

The Wicked Fairy smiled deviously. "Find me the intruder of my castle. When you bring him to me, I will send you back to civilization." She said, stepping closer to him. Lukas thought over the offer "Find one man in the midst of your large castle? That's a rather difficult task."

She chuckled. "I'm sure you'll have no problem unlike my goblin soldiers. First of all, he has transformed himself into a cat in order to escape me."

He raised his eyebrows; _How ironic…_ "Still, what makes you think that a simple man like me can find-"

"Don't you dare try to play cute, you filthy swine!" The Wicked Fairy hissed, her extending hand beginning to clench. Lukas found that his chokehold had become stronger, his face giving off a purplish tint. "I know what you are, and I'm not talking about being a con man," She warned, the heat of her eyes burning through his soul. "I'm willing not to touch upon those details _if_ you accept my offer."

_Air… Air would be nice…_ Lukas decided to turn off the charm and nodded his head, desperate for air. She smiled. "Good. I expect to see that damn cat soon." Her hand went limp, dropping Lukas.

He gasped desperately for air only to fall hard on a solid floor. After catching his breath, he looked around his surroundings; previously in the forest, he realized he was inside the castle. Sighing, Lukas rose to his feet and began his trail to freedom.

- ♥ -

Veronica left the bus abruptly, annoyed and stressed. She still had needed to get to the East Village, which was more than a walk, but at least she had better access to a subway. She walked along the sidewalk, ignoring the people passing her.

She looked ahead, seeing Central Park approaching. Veronica scoffed. _Yeah right, not even on a good day; if I hear about another mugging there…_ She passed the entrance undaunted. Briefly, she checked her watch. _Damn_, Veronica cursed to herself, _Definitely late_. She increased her speed, walking faster.

- ♥ -

Edwin, now in his new cat form, walked through the dark halls. Yes, he had escaped his enemies, but what was he to do now? He certainly couldn't fight the Wicked Fairy, not like this; and there was no chance he could even try to save Briar Rose.

_Oh, Briar_, he thought sadly. Before he could entertain his thoughts further, a familiar face appeared in front of him: Lukas. _How in the world­­_- Edwin thought before he heard the rumblings of the goblin army. Lukas shrugged his shoulders, his ice blue eyes emotionless. "Eddy, buddy, you have to understand: it was do or die."

Edwin hissed at him and darted down the hall, taking advantage of his new agility. Lukas almost barked at him, speeding after him.

Against the castle walls stood empty suits of armor, carry an assortment of swords, maces, and the works. Edwin concealed himself behind one of these suits, a bit out of breath; he managed to outrun Lukas and the others, but it knocked the wind out of him. He tried looking back to see his enemies, but his low position on the floor made it difficult to see around the bend.

He then began climbing up the armor, which proved to be simpler than he thought thanks to his new paws. Perched on the shoulder, Edwin scanned the area.

"You're mine!" Edwin glanced to the front of the armor where the Wicked Fairy stood, grinning with success. She held out her hand, ready to cast a spell on him. _No chance, I've come too far!_ Edwin pounced from the shoulder onto the armor's weapon of choice- the crossbow- and his hind foot leaned against the trigger.

As the Wicked Fairy was casting her spell, the arrow from the crossbow shot out, going directly through the palm of her hand. Her incantations stopped as the blood began trickling out of the wound. An unearthly cry rang through the halls, as the Wicked Fairy was brought to her knees.

Seizing the opportunity, Edwin dashed down the hall at top speed. Aiming her injured hand towards him, the Wicked Fairy uttered her spell again; as the magic began cumulating at her hand, it cut short and sent the Wicked Fairy moaning.

Edwin's small legs led him up the tallest tower of the castle; by pure luck he had been saved, and now that he was in such a form, he needed to see his best way of exit. As he reached the top, he saw a glistening wooden door opened slightly. Curious, he fit his thin body through the entrance.

Even in feline form, his jaw dropped; Briar Rose, in all her magnificent glory, lay in the center of the room. Oh, she was everything that Edwin had ever read about her! Her hair was the blondest of blonde, her lips were red as the rose, and her skin was heavenly!

He wanted to just gaze at her, let time stop, but the reflection of the moon bounced off an object, bothering Edwin's eyes. Surveying the room, a full length mirror stood adjacent to the door. The frame was decorated in elaborate carvings, and by the condition of the mirror, it was old; _very _old. The black wood was covered in dried barnacles, although there wasn't an ocean around for miles.

Edwin approached the mirror; there was something… _different_ about it, but he just couldn't put his finger- rather, paw- on it…

The sound of soft thudding approached the door, and before Edwin could react, Lukas threw the door open, knocking into the mirror. It rocked back and forth, falling to the back of the wall. One of the carvings, a circular one, swung out of place.

Immediately, a white light emitted from the mirror. Both Edwin and Lukas stood, motionless, bathed in the light. Finally, the light dimmed, and in the mirror reflected something… strange; there lay a forest, but rising above it were brightly lit towers that illuminated the dark sky.

Lukas stood, absolutely flabbergasted. He tried his best to construct words, but only managed to mutter, "Oh, boy."

Taking advantage of his shock, Edwin leaped towards the mirror, disappearing behind its silvery wall.

- ♥ -

Edwin did not realize he had world-skipped until he landed on his feet in the heart of Central Park. He, of course, did not know where he was, and began moving again with suspicion. While hunting as a boy, he learned to be wary of all unfamiliar places. Edwin walked with a quick pace, keeping a low cover until he reached the paved paths.

_A park?_ Sighing, he moved faster, looking for any signs of human life. His ears perked up at the faded sound that he heard once he entered the world. Curious, he followed it. Edwin approached a black, metal fence, confirming his suspicions. He approached the fence, peering out into the bustling streets.

_Uh-oh_, Edwin thought to himself as he glanced behind him; two larger animals- dogs, he concluded- were approaching him. He hissed at them, hoping to drive them away. It proved wrong, at the dogs leap them, growling viciously.

- ♥ -

As Veronica passed the park, something startled her; _Dogs…?_ She stopped, peering into the park; two dogs- not large, but certainly big enough- were attacking a smaller animal, but she couldn't tell what. Pressing herself against the fence, Veronica strained her eyes until she realized what it was: a cat.

Unfortunately for Veronica, she was a sucker for felines. She leaned back, still holding onto the fence; traffic had made her late already, but she just couldn't _leave_ him there…

Against her better judgment, Veronica climbed the fence, making sure to avoid the spiked ends. As she landed, several objects flew out of her bag, and banged her knee into the cement under the fence.

_Shit, I knew I was gonna regret this_. Ignoring her wound, Veronica dug into her bag until she found what she was looking for: her taser. Everyone at work made fun of her for buying one, but the way she looked at it, when going back from Flushing to the Bowery every day, you meet a lot of creeps, and going without protection was not smart.

She approached the commotion slowly, her hands gripping the taser. Clenching her teeth, she pressed it, knocking out one of the dogs, whimpering as is fell. The other turned its attention towards her, growling menacingly. As it approached her, Veronica, now more confident, shoved it at the animal, releasing a set of electrifying waves. It whimpered like the other, falling to the ground.

Veronica sat blankly when she remembered the ravaged feline. She crawled over, inspecting the gray and white cat; it wasn't as bad as it looked and put up one hell of a fight, but its front leg was bleeding.

Sighing, she took off her cheap gray hoodie and gently placed the cat in it. Placing her bag on her shoulder, Veronica scooped up the injured cat and walked towards the nearest exit.

- ♥ -

Lukas stepped into Central Park, retaining his balance. He really didn't want to go through the mirror, but rather than being outdone by those feeble-minded goblins, he decided to go through. He was already on thin ice with the Wicked Fairy; a loss to the goblins would not only lose his standing with her, but it was a big shot at his pride.

_This is gonna turn out bad, I know it!_ Lukas smelled the air around him, searching for the scent of Edwin. He startled back; there were far too many scents in the air. He attempted again, this time picking up a faint scent he knew as his childhood companion's. Following his nose, Lukas was led to the park's edge where he came upon the previous scene.

He could smell the blood not only of the prince, but of the dogs that he fought, but something else caught his nose: human blood, female, and young! Lukas eyed the blood stain on the cement where the girl had been injured.

Running against the fence, he smelled the air for their scents. Lukas jumped back and paced around. _He's here, I know it! But he's already on the move. I can always go to-_

_Don't even! Do you know how many problems that will cause?_

"Oh, huff puff!" Lukas muttered, frustrated.

- ♥ -


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Veronica Novak, the Knight in Shining Armor

- ♥ -

Veronica walked into _The Ink Emporium_, bracing herself; Jeff would be pissed, and it was almost as if she could _feel_ his rant coming. Still, she held tightly to Edwin, curled up in his feline form.

She sighed. "I know I'm late, I'm sorry, but I-"

"Jesus, Veronica, you're bleeding!"

Jeff, a tall man with thick arms, jumped from his seat behind the desk and approached Veronica, kneeling down. She looked at him blankly until she saw what he was looking at: her jeans were ripped at her right knee, her blood soaking though. "You can't tell me you didn't notice?" He asked, examining it.

"Veronica, where've you been? What happened?" Veronica cringed as she saw her friend, Bebe Charlton, enter the room.

Jeff helped her sit down when he noticed the bundle in her arm. "What the hell is that?"

She readjusted herself, allowing Edwin's face to be seen. Jeff sighed. "Don't even tell me…" Veronica revealed his hurt leg, answering, "I was walking past the park when I found him in a fight with two strays. I couldn't leave him there, so I hopped the fence and rescued him."

Bebe, now armed with a wet cloth, tended to her knee as Jeff left the room. "Does it have any I.D.?" She asked, her Brooklyn accent thick.

Veronica lifted Edwin's head: nothing. "No, nothing…"

Jeff returned with a First Aid kit, opening it. "You know how I feel about animals in here, V…" He began.

She stroked Edwin's fur slowly as they mended her knee. "I know, but just let me have him here for tonight. I'm going to see if there are any missing animals with his description; if not… I'll just bring him to the pound."

Jeff ran his hand over his shaved head. "You know what? Just take the night off. I'll postpone your appointments."

Bebe looked at Jeff, insulted. "What do you mean? She was supposed to do mine tonight!" Veronica, now bandaged up, stood up and announced, "I'll do only Bebe, since I had promised her. Then I'll trek home." Excited, Bebe clapped her hands and ran for the chair in Veronica's space.

Jeff turned his head to her. "You sure, V?" She nodded her head. "Yeah, let me just fix this guy here up first," She said, nudging Edwin up.

- ♥ -

Amidst the entire goblin army, two soldiers managed to successfully track Prince Edwin…

Sort of.

Out of the mirror came the same two soldiers whom Edwin was eavesdropping. Sven, a slender green goblin with wide eyes and youthful enthusiasm, gazed at the city around him, fascinated. Behind him, Olaf, a short and pudgy goblin with pig-like features, looked to where Sven was looking, unable to find interest.

"This place is… amazing," Sven muttered under his breath, taking off his helmet.

Olaf grunted, replying, "Just big, that's all. Don't know how we're going to find the intruder now."

"He must be very intelligent, finding that portal in the princess' room. I don't even believe that Mistress knows about it," Sven concluded, his eyes never leaving the huge skyscrapers.

Olaf threw his weapon over his shoulder, walking into the park. "It's possible, since no one has entered that room since the curse was placed. Come now, Sven; it's bad enough that we entered that room when it's forbidden, but if we bring her the intruder, I'm sure the Mistress will forgive our transgressions."

Sven sighed, walking alongside his older partner. "I suppose so. But I find this much more exciting- being in another world! I've never left the Sixth Kingdom before, but I've wanted to for so long-"

"Stop!"

Olaf raised his hand, halting his partner; before them was the scene of Edwin's attack. He bent to his knee, rubbing his finger in the blood spatters and then tasted it, pondering over the results.

"It's mixed- it seems to be cat's blood, but is truly human!"

Sven scratched his head, impressed. "You're a good tracker, Olaf, but where did he go?"

Crawling, Olaf approached where Veronica had been hurt, tasting her blood as well. "Definitely human," he muttered, "And female! He has a companion." Adjacent to him, Olaf noticed several items scattered. He picked through them: eye liner, a pad, $5.00…

The last item caught his attention, picking it up and reading its contents: "_The Ink Emporium_- The sickest tattoos this side of the Bowery. Drop in at 531 Bleecker Street in the Bowery, Lower East Manhattan. Proper I.D. is required; must be 16 years of age and anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult and have a birth certificate."

Sven shrugged his shoulders. "So what? It's a business card. There are probably tons of them around here."

Olaf smiled victoriously. "No one really keeps one unless it's where they work or plan to visit, and considering it was with the feminine products, it must belong to the intruder's companion." Sven blinked; despite his close-mindedness and lack of interest in everything, Olaf was an excellent hunter.

Placing it in his pocket, Olaf stood up. "Well, let's get going. We don't have all night!" Nodding, Sven followed, off to 531 Bleecker Street.

- ♥ -

_It could be worse_.

But he still didn't want to be there.

Lukas stood in front of the apartment door, still debating whether to knock. He hadn't seen her in years, not since she chose to come back. _You've come this far, might as well_. But…

The door swung open, revealing a petite young woman; her eyes were ice blue and her hair was jet black, contrasting her creamy white skin.

"I thought I smelled you, and now I know I was right," she commented, smiling a little.

Lukas smiled crookedly. "Rosemary; long time, no see."

She laughed, moving her thin body and hugging him. "No kidding! What are doing here, I thought you hated it here?"

He grumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "Long story…"

Rosemary's face dropped, saddened. "What did you do?" She said weakly, almost involuntarily.

Lukas placed his hands on his hips, searching for the right words. "Well, it's not what _I_ did, more so as what _Edwin_ did."

The small woman scoffed in disbelief, snapping, "What are you talking about? I'm not in the mood for jokes, Lukas."

Rolling his eyes, Lukas grabbed Rosemary, pulling her into her apartment and closing the door. "Edwin is a cat, Rose," He said bluntly, looking her straight in the eyes.

Rosemary blinked, her expression motionless. "What do you mean, 'Edwin is a cat?' What's going on?" Shaking his hands in the air, Lukas grabbed her hand and led her to her sofa, sitting her down.

"You know how Edwin has always been sort of… _obsessed_ with the Sixth Kingdom?" He began tenderly. Rosemary nodded her head slowly as he continued, "Well, he finally got the better of me and tricked me into getting him there…"

It was as if Rosemary had snapped from a trance, yelling, "You brought Edwin to the _Sixth Kingdom_!? Are you _nuts_!?"

Lukas held her shoulders, continuing in the same tone, "I didn't _intentionally_; he told me he needed to work on his tracking skills and I didn't think it was a big deal, so we did. It wasn't until we were at the Sixth Kingdom's border that he told me his real intention.

"Please, don't worry, Rose. He's good; he got past the primary defenses and even got to the royal castle. I refused to go any further, and he went without me." Rosemary sat, motionless. "Somehow, in that castle, in order to escape the Wicked Fairy, he turned himself into a cat. But because he's protected by that 'House of White' magic, the Wicked Fairy couldn't find him. So, she 'enlisted' me to-"

"To help find him, just so you can save your own skin! This is so typical of you, Lukas! I should've known you were here for something like this!" Rosemary shook him off, her face red.

Lukas grunted, waiting for her to calm down. "What did you expect me to do, Rose? She would've killed me there! It's not a bad thing to value your own _life_!"

Rosemary stood up, pacing around. She rubbed her temples, clearly aggravated. She breathed deeply several times before abandoning her pacing. He made a point, and while part of her believed him, the other refused.

She turned back to Lukas.

"So where is he now?"

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "Good question. My tracking is good, but it's not that good, which is why I'm here," he explained.

Rosemary nodded her head. "You're a liar. You were always the best tracker. Where is he and what do you need?"

He began to form a sentence before abandoning it altogether, thinking over his answer again. Finally, he quietly admitted, "He's over in the Lower East Side, and you have a car. You know I hate that section of town, and I was hoping you would go with me."

She nodded her head. "I'll go with you- on one condition," Rosemary proposed, invoking a negative reaction from Lukas. "There always is with you."

"First, you will _not_ bring him back to the Wicked Fairy, so let's just drop that now. To show that I care, I'll even make Edwin a communication potion-"

Lukas raised his eyebrows. "That's it? You just can't change him back?"

Rosemary sighed, continuing, "I can't, not in this world. A potion that serious needs a dense concentration of its materials, and I don't even have a third of the ingredients necessary. I don't think I'm being very demanding, am I?"

Lukas leaned into the sofa, shaking his head. "Fine, let's do this," He said, giving up.

Rosemary smiled. "Good, but first, I need to make that potion. It'll take about an hour, and I have most of _those_ ingredients around here, so make your self comfortable."

- ♥ -

"I still think you shouldn't put it here."

Veronica, now in green rubber gloves, began the outline of Bebe's tattoo: a blooming lotus flower, with flowing vines across her lower back. Being a tattoo artist, it wasn't like she wasn't used to those types of tattoos, but…

"Can I be honest with you for one second, B?" She asked.

Leaning against the chair, Bebe was dressed in a one piece black dress, the bottom pulled up in order for Veronica to do the tattoo. Bebe nodded her head.

Veronica sighed as she wiped away the excess ink with a cloth. "They call these 'tramp stamps' for a reason, and as your best friend, I don't want you to be labeled."

"I think they're sexy, and just because I want one don't mean I'm a tramp!" She insisted, despite her current situation; being in her short black dress which was pulled up, her bottom was left exposed and tonight, she was wearing a matching black thong.

"I know, I know you like it, but it would have been just as hot on your arm," Veronica replied.

She stopped, dabbing the needle in the ink, and continued. "By the way, what happened to 'dressing casually?'"

Bebe yelped, in pain. "I have work right afterwards. I'll have pretty much no time to change or anything. Besides, we're ladies here; I can hang my bum out if I want to, right?"

A knock came on the threshold, startling Edwin, who was resting on Veronica's couch. Still tracing, Veronica called out, "Come in."

A tall Hispanic man entered, still young and wearing a large, black hoodie. "Ladies, how are we tonight?"

Veronica chuckled, carefully designing the lines of the vines. "Hey Ramón, you're just in time for Bebe's tattoo."

Ramón glanced at Veronica's work, and briefly at Bebe's behind. "Nice, V," he said, a smirk plastered on his face, "Too bad Bebe's got no ass."

Bebe squeaked, turning her head around. "I beg your pardon, but I've been working out for months! I'm very proud of my ass." Veronica shook her head, laughing.

_I'd like you to meet the greatest friends ever, Bebe Charlton and Ramón Sanchez. We're quite the odd trio, as you can witness. Even though we bicker a lot, there is no one else in the world I'd rather hang out with than them. In my humble opinion, they should be dating. However, it's never gone any further than unintentional flirting._

"V, what is this on your couch?" Ramón asked, indicating Edwin.

Veronica smiled, despite Bebe wincing at the current pain. "My new boyfriend, isn't he the cutest?"

He scoffed, sitting next to Edwin. "So it's come to this," Ramón began, "Even though I'd date you in a heartbeat. My offer still stands, V."

Dabbing her needle with more ink, Veronica continued her work. "Ramón, not while I'm at work. Let's talk about this another time."

_I guess you can call this the main reason why they're not dating: Ramón likes me, to say the least. I did work for him once and he's followed me around like a puppy since. It hurts turning him down, since he's my best friend_

_It's hard to describe; sometimes, you're just naturally attracted to people, and other times, you're not. This is my issue with Ramón. Would he be a good boyfriend? Most likely._

_Some people, though… just aren't meant to date._

- ♥ -

Lukas sat shotgun to Rosemary in her small _Toyota Echo_, staring at nothingness. Rosemary drove, occasionally glancing at him.

"Why do you hate it here?" She asked softly. He sighed, his chin resting on his hand; the car window was open, the thick fumes of the city filtering in.

"It's so… empty. The air is filthy, the people are soulless, are there's just no… _magic_." Lukas explained, grasping to find the right words.

Rosemary shrugged. "If you want fresh air, you could just move to Pennsylvania. And out of every city in the world, New Yorkers are soulless? I wouldn't say so."

Lukas grumbled, replying, "Not that I like the Nine Kingdoms any better, but I don't have to worry there." Rosemary scoffed at him.

"About what, money, responsibility, or our-"

"Don't even mention it!"

Rosemary sighed. "You have such a problem with our heritage, but its so much a part of both you and I, it boggles me why you insist on not talking about it."

Lukas leaned against the interior of the car, softly replying, "You and I grew up with different atmospheres. There's a reason why we didn't grow up in New York, and you know it."

"But that's no reason to _deny _it! So the kids in the _first grade_ ostracized you! You got it out for the other ten million people in the city?" She retorted.

Before he could respond, something caught his nose, a distinct smell he'd smell before.

Royalty.

"He's close, Rose; go into the Bowery," Lukas said, his nose out the window. Rosemary turned her directional on, taking a short cut.

"Tonight seems to be your lucky night," She joked, driving towards the heart of the East Village. Lukas whimpered.

_The Bowery, full of degenerates and lowlifes! Huff puff, how can tonight get more miserable?_

- ♥ -

Olaf and Sven trudged through the darkness of the subway tunnels, not minding the utter lack of light and the abundance of garbage and rats. It beat walking on the streets; the stares that they were receiving were distracting, and it was only upon accident that they discovered the underground systems. After they had carefully read the maps, they had figured out that the tunnels were all connected.

"Much better than walking along those towers," Olaf commented, walking steadily on the tracks.

Sven sighed, twitching at the sound of the rats scurrying around. "I don't know, Olaf; something big must have created these tunnels. Why else would they be here?"

Olaf laughed heartily. "I hope you're right! Imagine if it were a dragon! Wouldn't that be something to return to the Mistress?" Sven shook his head.

"I really don't believe that, Olaf. There's just something… _different_ about this world, I can't quite put my finger on it."

Beneath them, the tracks began to rumble and the rats scurried away into their tunnels. Sven halted, looking over his shoulder; a faint light was becoming brighter and brighter at an alarming pace.

"Olaf, there's something coming," He warned, leaping off the tracks and into the side.

Swinging his weapon, Olaf hit against one of the tracks, flattening it. Moving over, he did the same to the other.

"These tracks are here to help the beast. This will falter him, I'm sure of it!" Sven twisted his mouth; somehow, he just couldn't believe that, and leaped off the tracks into safety.

Down the tracks the subway train came roaring down, frightening Sven. Olaf stood firmly in his place a few hundreds yards backwards from his original place, anticipating its arrival.

The train hit the broken tracks, swerving off. It began to skid, sparks flying everywhere. Sven looked upon his companion, worried. Even though they didn't meet eye to eye on everything, Olaf was nice enough, and he simply couldn't leave him…

Sven ran towards Olaf, grabbing him by the arm, and pulled him towards the wall, falling to the ground. Because of his stature, Olaf did the same, falling off the tracks and into safety as the train skidded past them.

- ♥ -

Veronica dabbed her needle in the dark green ink, finishing up Bebe's tattoo. Bebe grimaced, clutching onto her chair. It had taken two hours to complete, and for a first tattoo, it was particularly grueling.

"Don't worry, B, I'm almost done," Veronica told her, filling in the vines. Bebe nodded her head, pouting her lips.

Ramón flicked through the channels of the television in Veronica's booth, nothing in particular catching his interest. Next to him was Edwin, curled up in a ball, fast asleep; after everything he'd been through, it was a well deserved nap. Ramón glanced over, petting the back of his neck.

"And you are… done."

Veronica wiped away the last of the green ink, placing down her needle. She cleaned it off with a damp cloth, a regular procedure, and dried it off. Turning off the machine, she took the device apart, putting away all the necessary tools.

Bebe stood up from the seat and stretched; being in the same position for two hours was tiring. She walked over to the full length mirror and lifted her dress; Bebe smiled, giggling at Veronica's finished work.

"V, I love it! I knew you would do a good job!"

Veronica smiled, removing her gloves and throwing them in the trash bin. "I know what I'm doing."

Veronica walked over to Bebe, a white bandage in her hand. "Now, you're gonna have to wear this over it for at least twenty-four hours, but I recommend forty-eight, just to be on the safe side. You're also gonna have to put on this cream as it scabs up." Kneeling down, she covered the fresh tattoo with the bandage, taping it to her skin. Bebe pulled down her dress, rubbing the bandage through the dress.

_Knock, knock, knock_…

Veronica, straightening up her booth as Bebe and Ramón began to prepare to leave, didn't even turn her head. "Come in."

"_Ver-_o-_nica I am hopelessly in love with a girl with a face of an angel…_"

Veronica froze, blinking. Both Bebe and Ramón's heads turned, speechless. They looked back to Veronica, who slowly stood up straight; she wasn't a tall girl, standing at only 5'5, but she seemed even shorter as she looked at nothing particular.

Into the room strolled a dark haired man of about 5'11, dressed in a conservative black sweater over a collared white shirt. In his hands was an enormous bouquet of white lilies, surrounded by baby's-breath, wrapped in white paper. He smiled, walking towards her.

"Hey Ronny-locks, I thought I'd find you here," He said, gazing at her.

Veronica sighed, continuing what she was doing before. "Hello, Steve. I didn't realize you were in town."

Steve followed her, his smile never faltering. "We just got back from California yesterday. You've been on my mind constantly, V." Veronica turned off the television, bumping into Ramón. She apologized under her breath to him.

"Really; that's nice."

His smiled faded, clearly frustrated. "Veronica, I drove out two hours to see you, and you don't even ask how I'm doing?"

She turned to him, her body tense. "And why is that? Why should I even care? I'm going against my better judgment by being _acknowledging your existence_!"

Grabbing Veronica with his free hand, Steve led her into the hallway, away from Bebe and Ramón. Veronica, looked down, avoiding eye contact. Steve looked down, staring at her.

"I know I fucked up, okay? But I'm still in love with you; I can't stop thinking about you. Baby, just please give me one more chance-"

"Boys worth having a second chance never need that second chance, and quite frankly, I don't think one of those boys!" She spat back, staring him in the eye.

Steve stepped back, flustered. He looked back at her. "So a year and a half means nothing now? You're just gonna forget everything we've been through?"

- ♥ -

Lukas and Rosemary walked into _The Ink Emporium_, observing their surroundings. "This is it," He said under her breath, walking up to the desk. Jeff sat at the desk, on the phone.

Noticing them, Jeff excused himself for a moment on the phone. "Hi guys, I'll be with you in a moment."

He returned to talking and a minute later, hung up. Jeff turned to them, adjusting his thin glasses. "What can I do you for you guys?"

As if turned on, Lukas smiled and placed his hands on the desk. "My sister and I lost our precious cat this morning and we've been looking all day when we heard a girl was seen with a cat matching his description was on her way here."

Jeff sighed, relieved. "The cat's yours? Excellent; Veronica will be stoked. She's busy right now, so just sit tight for a moment." Lukas and Rosemary turned to sit down when they heard loud shouting over the heavy music playing.

Veronica and Steve were now in a full argument, head to head. "_I've_ forgotten everything we've been through? Look at _you_! _You're_ the reason our relationship fucked up, _you're_ the reason we broke up, and _you're_ the reason why we're not getting back together!"

"_You_ broke up with _me_, Veronica! I never wanted us to end; hell, I wanted us to go further!"

"You left me no choice! I was gonna sacrifice my morals because you're _really sorry_? Fuck off, Steve!" Veronica shouted.

She grabbed the flowers from his hand- her favorite flowers and she knew he picked them on purpose- and threw them into the lobby, splattering across the floor. Veronica didn't care that everyone was staring at her as she began crying, her face digging into her hands.

"Get out of my life, Stephen; don't come back here, don't come to my place, don't go anywhere near me," she sobbed, wiping away her tears. Steve walked near her, attempting to hold her, but she pushed him away, determined to keep her word.

From Veronica's booth exited Edwin, awakened and worried for the girl who had saved him. He purred, rubbing himself against her leg. Sniffling, Veronica scooped him up, petting his long, soft coat.

"Edwin!" Rosemary shouted; she didn't want to believe Lukas, but that scent was undeniable. Edwin looked towards the lobby, seeing Rosemary and the traitor Lukas. He hissed at Lukas, startling Veronica.

She glanced at Edwin. "What's wrong?"

_Crash!_

Everyone in the tattoo parlor turned around, looking at the shattered glass door. Responsible for the destruction was no one other than Sven and Olaf; barely surviving their adventure down the subway, they had finally made it to their destination. Olaf eyed his target.

"The intruder!" The shorter goblin pointed his weapon at Edwin, both hands clutching it. Everyone remained silent, stunned. Olaf entered the lobby and swung his large sword, slicing the couch in half.

Chaos ensued, the customers running out of the parlor. Jeff dialed 911 under his desk, hurriedly explaining, "These weird looking guys just came up to my business, destroyed my property and are now threatening my customers with physical violence! I'm located in the Bowery, on Blee-"

He stopped, listening to his dispatcher. His entire face flushed red. "What do you mean you can't get to me!? There's been an accident in the subways!? Listen, there is serious shit going on here!"

Veronica ran back into her booth, grabbing her bag. Bebe and Ramón looked at her, frantic. "There's an exit in the backroom, it'll lead to the street! Get home safely!" Veronica said, shaking. They nodded their heads.

"Call both Bebe and me when you get home, okay?" Ramón told her, concerned.

She nodded her head, holding Edwin. They ran towards the back, past Veronica's coworkers. Entering the backroom, Veronica pushed the door open, running into the streets. Bebe and Ramón followed, as did several other people.

Veronica ran down the street, running down a subway entrance. Before she could even reach the bottom, a firefighter caught her, holding her back.

"Ma'am, there's a serious accident in the subways; they'll be closed until further notice."

Veronica blinked in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I gotta get back to Queens!"

The firefighter shook his head, pushing her up the steps. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. All the tracks in Manhattan are closed."

Frustrated, Veronica ran back up the steps and back onto the street. Traffic was going to be hell, she felt it. There was no use going back to Queens; she would just have to beg Mrs. Rothschild to watch Tegan the entire night.

But where was she going to go? Both Bebe and Ramón worked the nightshift, so they were out.

_Just go to her place. After all, she's your mother._

Veronica groaned; she really didn't want to. It was no secret that she loathed her mother, but at the same time, she was her mother and although she would make snide remarks at first, she would allow Veronica to stay without question.

"There he is, Sven, in the wench's arms!"

Edwin moved, causing Veronica to jump. Standing fifty feet away from her were the two green creatures that caused the commotion at her job, glaring at Edwin. She looked at the two creatures, then back at Edwin.

Veronica bolted down the street, bumping past the people around her. The two goblins chased after her, their armor clanking along. She wasn't very athletic, born with a curvaceous body and had gained weight since the breakup, but boy could she run.

Sven gained speed, despite his armor and his weapon. Olaf gave his best, but became slower and slower until he stopped. Bending over, he did his best to catch his breath.

Running from block to block, Veronica yelped as a taxi came to a screeching halt only a few feet away from her. She looked back; Sven was close, dangerously close to her. He easily climbed over a stopped car, garnering honks and curses from the other pedestrians.

Despite the pain in her legs, Veronica ran until she saw people at a bus stop, entering the current bus there.

Cars quickly braked as Veronica ran in front of them, running onto the bus as the doors closed. Paying her fair, the bus rolled away, leaving Sven back on the street.

Her eyes never left him as the bus drove uptown until she couldn't see him anymore. Veronica sighed, sitting in an empty seat. She could see the traffic up ahead and didn't care.

Instead, she stroked Edwin's fur, causing him to purr. Veronica looked at him for a long time.

_Who are you?_

- ♥ -


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lukas, The Under[canine

- ♥ -

Lukas and Rosemary walked around the mess left by the goblins at _The Ink Emporium_. The petite woman sighed. "Goblins, too? You just couldn't come visit like a normal person, no. Instead, you allow all hell to break loose."

Smelling the air, Lukas entered Veronica's room. Like the others, things were turned over, but the damage wasn't large. He looked at the pictures on the desk, scattered around. The first was in a purple and lime frame decorated in stars, the word 'SISTERS' inscribed in large letters; in the picture were two girls, apart in age but clearly related. The older one was the girl in the hallway, with Edwin; however, in the picture she appears to be thinner, her hair shorter and completely burgundy, despite her current brunette color.

_Veronica_, the name ringed in his head. The other girl, around five or six years old, was clearly her sister, with long, raven hair, touching her waist. Lukas picked up the adjacent picture; in the wired frame were Veronica, with hot pink streaks in her black hair, and her two friends, Bebe, a vivacious blonde with mounds of curls pulled back in a French ponytail, and Ramón, a Hispanic man whose body was a display case for tattoos, posing for the picture at Coney Island.

The other picture was in a mahogany frame; Veronica wore a black graduation gown, her hair now jet black, accompanied by a tall man who was clearly her father, her sister when she was younger, and a blonde haired woman who was clearly _not_ her mother.

Lukas placed the picture down, looking at the couch. He walked over and examined it until he found what he was looking for: grey cat hair.

Satisfied, he left the room, finding Jeff surveying the damage. "Excuse me, sir, I realize this is a bad time, but would you know where I could find this girl, Veronica?" Jeff blinked at him, silent, until he reached under his desk

He pulled out a small book, opening it and flicking through the pages. "She lives in Flushing out in Queens with her father, but what with the subways down, she's probably at her mother's in Morningside Heights." Lukas nodded his head, looking at Veronica's information.

- ♥ -

Olaf finally caught up with Sven, who was waiting patiently at the bus stop. He stopped, looking at his younger companion. "You didn't get him and the wench?"

Sven shrugged his shoulders. "They got onto a carriage before I could get them. It was going much faster than I could. So I decided to wait for you."

Olaf groaned; the new kingdom was huge, and it was difficult enough to find them the first time. "We're going to have to retrace our steps, then."

"Well, the carriage mentioned something about 'Uptown.' Perhaps we could figure out what that means?" Sven suggested, attempting to cheer his comrade up. Olaf glanced across the street, where a store caught his eye: Bowery Books.

- ♥ -

Veronica stood in the elevator of her mother's apartment building, on the phone with Mrs. Rothschild. "Thank you so much! I would have taken the subway, but it was difficult enough just getting uptown. Tell Tegan I love her and that I'll be home tomorrow."

She closed her cell phone and sighed. The elevator reached the fourth floor and opened, Veronica walking out. She walked down the hallway until she reached the familiar room number. Slowly, Veronica knocked on the door, regretting each knock.

The door swung open, a woman in her late forties appearing. She pursed her lips and held the edge of the door in her hand. "Well look who decided to show up."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Hello to you to, mom." Allison Parker chuckled, and then turned her attention to Edwin. "What is that?"

"That's a cat, mom. I found him and he's staying with me until I find his owner," She explained, squeezing Edwin's paw.

Allison folded her arms, almost sneering. "Ted is allergic to cats, you know that."

Frustrated, Veronica asked, "Is Ted home?" Allison glanced back into her apartment and back at her daughter. Her face twisted.

"No, but-"

"Then it's no problem that he stays. Listen, the subways are closed, and I need somewhere to stay." Veronica readjusted her bag's strap, annoyed with her mother.

Allison stepped aside. "I never said you couldn't."

Veronica walked into the large apartment, sitting in the white chair in the living room. She was taking off her shoes when something caught her attention: luggage, several pieces strayed around the adjacent white couch.

"Leaving Ted already?" She asked in disbelief.

Allison walked into the living room, a bottle of wine and two glasses in her hands. "Hardly; we're leaving for Phuket for the next three weeks. If your father and _his_ wife can take three week vacations, then so can Ted and I. And don't worry; the courts know."

She poured the red liquid in each glass, handing Veronica one. She took a small sip; it was the first time she had alcohol in months. In honor of her twenty-first birthday, Veronica had gone out with a group of friends and took twenty-one shots. Worst idea ever. She then had spent the next two days in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

Veronica glanced at the bags again. Her father, Michael, and stepmother, Beth, were currently in the Bahamas, a trip that they had been saving up for months. Despite Beth being eight months pregnant, they still went; by the time she discovered her pregnancy, they had already booked the hotels and flights.

They had been gone for five days, which is why she was watching Tegan. Allison had custody of her every other weekend, but it was common for her to forfeit her time to go on her lavish trips with the man she left their father for, Ted.

Allison drank her wine. "Do you still work in that God awful place, the Imperial?" Veronica swallowed her drink, replying, "_The Ink Emporium_, and yes, I do." Placing her drink on the table, she stroked Edwin's fur.

"Steve came today." Allison tensed up, removing the glass from her lips. "I thought you weren't seeing him anymore," she said bluntly.

Veronica removed a piece of hair from her face, looking away from her mother. "I'm not; he wanted to get back together, but I told him to fuck off."

Allison twisted her mouth, finishing her glass. "I wouldn't have used that choice of words, but I'm glad; you're too good for low-class trash like him." Veronica turned up the corners of her mouth, swirling the wine around in her glass. "Just because he's from New Jersey doesn't make him trash."

"I could care less where he's from! Well, it does play a part, but look at him! He's twenty-five years old and he's still a 'musician,' if you can call him that. How are you supposed to be serious with someone who is never around and not bringing in any real income?" She asked her daughter, pouring herself another glass of wine.

Veronica opened her mouth, but quickly closed it; Allison was never really a mother to her when growing up, and in her opinion, still isn't one with Tegan, but truly had her daughters' best interests at heart.

_Yeah, my mother never liked Steve. When I introduced her and Ted to him, she absolutely despised him from the moment she laid her eyes on him. I'll give her this, though: when Steve and I broke up, she never rubbed it in that she was right about him. My mother is one of those people who should have never had kids, and although she was terrible with me, I think she's trying to make up for it now._

The front door opened, gaining the attentions of the two women. Ted, a tall man in his mid-thirties in the prime of physical fitness, entered the living room, his jacket in one arm and his briefcase in the other. He looked back and forth between and smiled at Veronica.

"Well, I'll be; Neeka- Puerta Rica! How are you?"

Veronica did her best fake smile she could pull off; she absolutely despised that nickname, and Ted was the only person she knew who called her that. "Hi, Ted. I'm good, thanks. Excited for your three week getaway?"

"So your mother told you about it? I gotta admit, I can't wait. It's a shame you couldn't come with us." Ted placed down his briefcase, sitting next to Allison.

Veronica glanced at her mother, who tensed up at the last part of the sentence. "You could've brought Tegan; she's obsessed with the ocean, and I bet she would've loved it," She suggested, sipping her wine.

Allison handed her glass off to Ted, who drank from it. "She's only six, Veronica; we're not bringing my six year old daughter 7,000 miles across the world where we were required to get several shots and is potentially dangerous for a girl her age! Besides, the courts would never allow it!" Her mother grabbed the glass from Ted, throwing her head back and gulping it.

Suddenly, Ted sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he sniffled. Allison glared as Edwin, who was sitting in Veronica's lap. "By the way, Veronica met a new friend," she said, her eyes never leaving the gray and white feline.

Veronica pouted her lips, looking at Edwin. "He was a stray, Ted; I just couldn't _leave_ him," she said sweetly, buttering up her stepfather. Running his hand through his dark hair, he smiled. "No worries, Neeka; there's Benadryl in the cabinet. We're more than happy to have your guest here."

Allison almost sneered at her daughter, standing up. "It's late, Ted, and we have to be up in the morning. I'll be in the bedroom." She walked away, taking her glass and her bottle of wine with her. The bedroom door slammed shut behind her, or at least, that was what it seemed.

Ted turned back to Veronica, smiling. "It's just the wine, that's all. You know, I really tried to convince your mother to let you come along, but she just wasn't having it. I don't think she really appreciates you," he said to her, leaning forward. Veronica leaned back into her seat, smiling the best she could.

_Meet Ted, my mother's husband. He's eight years younger than her, and is obsessed with staying in shape. He works for some fortune 500 company, and makes enough to afford, say, a comfy apartment in that's three minutes away from an Ivy League school and a three week vacation in Phuket, Thailand. He's nice enough, I guess; he's polite to my father, and acknowledges Tegan's existence when she's at the apartment, but other than that, he's kind of dull._

_Also, in case you haven't noticed, he flirts with his own wife's twenty-one year old daughter. It's been this way since the day I turned eighteen, and that was a full three years ago._

Edwin rose from Veronica's lap, standing at the edge of her legs. Ted sat up straight, rubbing his nose. "I'll be back, I'm just getting that Benadryl," he said quickly, and went to the kitchen.

Veronica smiled at Edwin, stroking his fur. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours; I guess we're even." Picking him up, she stood up and walked to the spare bedroom, no longer bothering to entertain Ted.

- ♥ -

Dr. Fritz Twigbeard sighed as he turned the page, reading over his graduate students' final reports. Some papers were a pleasure to read, allowing himself to feel a glint of pride at his own teaching skills. Others were bland, Fritz feeling his eyelids drooping before reaching the middle of the paper. Then there were the students who had slipped through the educational system and had the brilliant notion that they wanted to become doctors, and now Twigbeard was left to suffer as he corrected mistake after mistake on their papers.

Fritz was the head of the medical department of the Little Red Riding University for over twenty years and thus, gaining a stellar reputation. Being a dwarf, he had overcome many obstacles to get where he was, but his position was secured when he published his findings of the Fairy anatomy.

Mind you, it wasn't easy; free spirited magical creatures with a penchant for causing trouble, they had no use for science or medicine and therefore didn't want any part in it. It had taken him years before he found a willing subject for him to study. After three years, Twigbeard finally published his report, and was hailed an inspiration.

_Bang, bang, bang!_

Fritz looked in the direction of his office's door, a bit annoyed. "Enter," he commanded, continuing his reading.

The door swung open, two lanky, green goblins in armor marching in. Dr. Twigbeard dropped his paper, standing up in his seat. "What's all the meaning of this? Who are you?"

The first soldier scowled, puffing out his chest. "Are you Dr. Fritz Twigbeard?" Flustered, Fritz replied, "I am, and who are you?"

"We are soldiers of the Goblin Army, under the command of our Mistress, The Wicked Fairy of the Sixth Kingdom. Your assistance is required at the castle," the same soldier explained. The color drained from Fritz' face; the Sixth Kingdom, and the Wicked Fairy? This was not good.

He cleared his throat, attempting to keep himself together. "And what if I'm not available? I have other commitments." The second soldier stepped forward, glaring at him. "Then make yourself available."

Dr. Twigbeard felt nauseous, but who wouldn't in his situation? The color in his cheeks turned sickly white, and he held onto his desk.

"Don't worry yourself, you fool," the second soldier spat, "We're not going to harm you; the Mistress just requires your assistance. Afterwards, you're allowed to return to your trivial obligations." He nodded his head and climbed from his seat. Grabbing his suitcase, he walked over to the soldiers and glanced at them.

The doctor gulped; this would not end well, no matter what.

- ♥ -

Lukas looked at the address on the paper for a long time. It was Allison and Ted's address, where Veronica would most likely be staying since the subways were down. Although Rosemary had told them they would look for Edwin tomorrow when she got up, Lukas left early that morning, intending to find him by himself.

He approached the large apartment building, unsure whether to go up; once he had Edwin, Lukas would have to go back to the Nine Kingdoms, and if he refused to give up Edwin, the Wicked Fairy would surely kill him. Although Rosemary would willingly give up her life for Edwin, Lukas never got along well enough with the prince to do something as hasty as that.

"You look lost."

Lukas turned to the voice; it belonged to Allison, who had just finished her morning jog. She approached him, smiling. "Can I help you around here?" He gave a faux smile, taking advantage of his dark looks.

"Actually you can; I was looking for my little pussy…" Lukas began, inches away from Allison's face, "… Cat." She looked away, laughing a bit. "Lots of people have cats around here; what kind is it?"

He crossed his arms, still carrying on his faux smile. "He's a gray and white calico cat, and I had heard that a girl had found him. Would you happen to know her?" Allison pursed her lips and replied, "My daughter found a cat like that yesterday."

Lukas chuckled, keeping in character for his _schmoozing_ shtick. "Your daughter? You're trying to tell me that you're a _mother_?" Allison shrugged her shoulders and reached into her pants' pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "_Two_ daughters," she corrected him.

"Well, you don't look it, not at all. Your husband must agree." Allison glanced at her hand, noticing her shimmering gold wedding band. She inhaled her cigarette. "I'm divorced from my children's father; he really didn't appreciate me. And quite frankly, neither does my current husband."

Lukas ran his ran through his jet black hair. "It seems like you need someone to treat you right, even for just a day." Allison blew a stream of smoke out, swirling around her. "My name is Allison, Allison Parker. Why don't you come up and we'll see what we can do about your missing pussy…" She dropped her cigarette and crushed it under her sneaker, and walked into the building.

Lukas smiled triumphantly.

_Like a fiddle_.

- ♥ -

Veronica tossed in her bed, avoiding the sun light shining through the blinds. She squeezed her eyes tight before opening them, giving up on sleeping. Allison's alarm was ridiculously loud, and Veronica had been rolling around, desperately trying to get back to sleep.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and sighed; it had been months since she slept at the apartment, and Veronica had no other clothes to change in. So, she had slept in her undergarments. It really wasn't a big deal; she had done it loads of times when she spent the night at Steve's.

_Well, that's a different story_…

As Veronica got out of bed, she heard the sound of footsteps going down the hallway. There were hushed voices, but one of them she clearly recognized: Allison.

_Jeez, you and Ted couldn't wait until Phuket_?

Sighing, Veronica grabbed her pants off the floor, noticing Edwin sleeping on the dresser. She tapped on his paw, watching his eyes open.

"Listen up, 'cause I'm only saying this once," she began, whispering, "We're gonna bail, and we're gonna go back to my dad's place. Once I get my little sister, we're gonna find your owner, okay?"

Edwin blinked, and meowed softly. Veronica turned away, stepping into her pants.

- ♥ -

_Oh, he's here, all right…_

Edwin's scent was everywhere, and it hit Lukas like a ton of bricks. Allison walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, bending down. He turned away, more concentrated in finding the feline prince.

Allison was good looking, no doubt, but Lukas had no intention to fulfill her middle age women's fantasy. She took out a carton of orange juice and an empty glass; she poured the juice out, leaving it out on the table.

"My husband always has his orange juice in the morning; he won't notice if I just slip a little 'something' in…" Allison then looked through her medicine cabinet.

Lukas stepped closer towards her. It was odd, considering it seemed as if she had done this before, but that didn't bother him. He took his hand from his coat pocket, still clenched, and held it over the glass of orange juice. It opened, and a pinkish-purple dust slipped in, diluting into the drink.

"Don't worry, it won't be necessary; I'm sure that he won't be back for some time." Allison turned back, staring intently at him. "All right. Let's check around here for your little kitty." She left the kitchen, Lukas following.

They walked down the hall, passed the bathroom, a closet-

There.

He was in the adjacent room, in the company of the girl from the tattoo parlor. Lukas inched towards the door, asking, "Is my little kitty here?"

"Hush! My daughter is most likely sleeping, and we wouldn't want to wake her, no?" Allison continued walking to the end of the hall, where the master bedroom lay. He followed her in, glancing around: the walls were pale yellow, decorated with 19th century French paintings. All the furniture was mahogany including the doors to her closet, the clothing inside worth a small fortune itself. The bed was grand, high posts pointing toward the ceiling. The bed sheets were designer, as if that were a surprise, fashioned in earthy colors.

However, no cat.

Lukas placed his hands on his hips. "Now where is my cat?" Allison circled him, eyeing him hungrily. "Forget the cat- I've got something better."

He groaned in his head; she was persistent, that was for sure. However, the situation wasn't completely hopeless, as he had an idea.

"Lay on the bed," he commanded. Allison licked her lips. "Now we're thinking alike." She did as she was told, and laid on the king-sized bed.

He approached the edge. "Close your eyes, I'm gonna do something special." Her eyes fluttered shut immediately. "I like where you're going with this." Lukas silently maneuvered towards the closet and opened it. Digging around, he finally found something that caught his eye: pantyhose.

Sitting on the bed, Lukas caressed Allison's arms softly. As expected, her arms followed him as he raised his hand. With her arms above her head, Lukas brought them to the head post. With the pantyhose, he wrapped her wrists in it and tied a solid knot around the wooden headboard.

"Ooh, Ted never does this kind of stuff with me." With the other set he found, Lukas moved toward her feet, caressing her legs through her pants. He tied them together, making sure the knot was as tight as the other. With a rolled up sock, in placed it in her mouth, muffling any noises.

Problem solved.

"Listen, Mom, I'm just gonna go, so you and Ted go have a good-"

Veronica had originally gone to her mother's room to wish her goodbye, but was not expecting this. Allison was tied up to her bed, and Ted wasn't with her; instead, there was a young man there, at most in his mid twenties, near her feet.

A beat passed between the three of them. That man seemed familiar, so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Was he from school, the subways, a neighbor…

_Last night, at the Emporium. He was in the lobby, and the cat had hissed at him_.

Before anyone could say anything, Veronica bolted to her room, slamming her door behind her and locking it. Lukas ran after her, leaving Allison tied up. Getting the prince was much more important.

Besides, Allison was older and her glory days were done. Her _daughter_, however, was in her prime, and in Lukas' opinion, much more alluring.

_And succulent, and seductive, and…_

Veronica ran to the window, opening it. She looked down; that was a long way to go.

_Bang, bang, bang!_

"Little girl, little girl, let me in, let me in" She rolled her eyes. _So he thinks he's a comedian…_

However, the banging was persistent, worrying her. She glanced at the cat, whose hair was standing up.

"I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow the damn door down!"

_Think, Veronica, think! _Veronica paced around, not sure what to do. She had escaped those weird creatures last night by running faster than she normally could, and she had stopped the dogs by-

_That's it_. Grabbing her purse, Veronica tore through the contents until she found what she was looking for: her taser.

Lukas was becoming quite frustrated; he didn't think that a girl would go this far to protect a cat. Did she know who he was, what power he attainted? Lukas seriously doubted it, but still. He threw himself against the door several times before it opened.

Stumbling in, it didn't take him long to regain his composure. He scanned the room when he saw Edwin standing on the window sill.

"The cat…" Lukas eyed the prince briefly before turning around, catching Veronica's arm, taser in hand. "And the girl…"

Veronica stared at him intently, her grayish blue eyes burning through him. Lukas smiled at her and glanced at the taser. "You thought I couldn't smell that electricity burning, after I tracked that damn cat throughout the entire city? Oh, my dear, you're in for a rude awakening."

"Who the fuck are you?" She spat, trying to pull herself free. Lukas smiled, pulling her closer to him. "You must be Veronica, the lady of the hour. Unfortunately for you, you've taken in a wanted cat."

Edwin, still standing on the window sill, never took his eyes off Veronica; she kept looking back at him, then at the window.

She wanted him to escape.

That wasn't going to happen, though; this girl, who didn't even know that he is a prince, had willingly put herself at risk to save him. There was no way he was leaving her.

"You never answered my question: who are you?"

Lukas mulled it over in his head, debating it carefully. "I'm the man your mother tried to seduce. However, your mother's game is off, and she was easily played. You, on the other hand, I would just let myself fall under your command."

Great; he was hitting on her. "You're fucking sick, y'know? You tie up my mother, bang down my door, and now you wanna get into my pants? Why are you here?"

Lukas sighed, rubbing his thumb down her wrist. "I'm not gonna lie, but I didn't think you were gonna be this beautiful. I only had a glimpse of you in the Bowery, but here you are, standing before me! Now I'm at a miss."

The heat emitting Veronica's eyes were burning through his head. He decided to stop toying with her, despite the pleasure it was. "Listen, all I want is that damned cat, okay? Let me take the cat and be on my way and I'll never bother your creamy self again."

At that cue, Edwin leaped off the window sill and ran up to Lukas, digging his claws into his calf. Lukas yelped in pain, losing his grip on Veronica's hand. He made several attempts to swat him away, finally doing so.

When he turned around, Veronica dug her taser into him, sending shocks throughout his body. His body dropped to the floor, allowing Veronica to grab her bag and Edwin. She ran out of her room and out of the apartment. It didn't matter that her mother was still tied up, and unbeknownst to her, Ted was to be drugged; Veronica needed to get home to Tegan.

If not, to escape the problems she had been facing.

- ♥ -


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Olaf and Sven, Soldier _Extraordinaire_.

- ♥ -

Dr. Fritz Twigbeard sat motionless in the back of an old wooden cart, grasping tightly to his briefcase as the twilight broke throughout the Nine Kingdoms. He had thrown up twice since accompanying the goblins to the Sixth Kingdom, angering them. The Wicked Fairy was a fairly passive player in the politics of the Nine Kingdoms, never lashing out at the others unless one of their countrymen dared enter _her_ kingdom.

He thought of his family mostly, worried for his wife and their six children, with a _seventh_ on the way. What would they do without him? His daughter was getting married in August, and his eldest son would be going to university several weeks after his daughter's wedding. And the little ones! Fritz read them stories every night and tucked them into bed so his wife could go to sleep early. What would become of them?

And what evil plans did the Wicked Fairy have in store for him? Perhaps she would emerge from isolation and use him as a message. Or maybe she would use him as her speaking piece to the other kingdoms.

Fritz bent his small body over, feeling drowsy as everything began to blur and the contents of his stomach began acting up…

"Hold your stomach, dwarf; we're here." Looking over his bifocals, Fritz watched as they approached the great stone wall that surrounded the kingdom, covered in long, green vines. One of the goblin soldiers stepped off the cart and approached it, raising his hand near the poisonous vines.

"My Mistress, we have returned with the professor!" He said loud and crisply, his back straightened. Fritz desperately tried find where or whom he was talking to, but could only see the vine covered wall.

Suddenly, the deadly vines receded, showing a large, weathered door made of wood. The sound of metal began to squeak, and the door slowly rose. Fritz stared in awe as the Sixth Kingdom was revealed before him, his mouth agape; yes, he was a doctor and a medical professor, but history was a huge hobby for him, and it was if he was glimpsing into 100 years before. In the back of his mind, a voice was screaming to take notes, write everything that he saw. But he remained motionless, his body unable to react.

The goblin returned, climbing back onto the cart. "You're expected, dwarf," he commented, sitting next to his comrade.

Fritz snapped back into the moment, sitting upright. Every emotion and thought that was going through his head came back, hitting him ten times harder. Leaning over the side of the cart, he vomited again, ignoring the grunts from the goblins.

- ♥ -

Lukas walked into Rosemary's apartment, a little disjointed. He was close to getting Edwin- _damned_ close. It was a pain wooing Allison, yet a pleasure meeting Miss Veronica, the girl who found the prince.

That was, until she tasered him. Lukas could still feel the electricity running through his body, and was shocked several times while getting back to the apartment on random pieces of metal. He was sure she had no idea who that little cat really was, which made it equally as frustrating. But she sure as hell was set on protecting it. Then again, she could already know, and had been protecting him for that reason. No matter; he'd deal with her later. He was alive, for now.

"Lukas, where the _hell_ have you been!?"

Scratch that.

Rosemary stormed in, still in her night robe and her jet black hair pulled back. Lukas closed his eyes, mentally groaning at himself. "I almost got Edwin back-"

"Without _me_! You're planning on giving him to the Wicked Fairy, aren't you? Lukas, how could you!? We've known him for years, and you're stabbing him in the back now?" Rosemary's face was red, her hands grasping at her hair.

He sat on the couch, not sure how to explain it to her. Rosemary was right, on several accounts, and had always managed to pin him out as the bad guy.

"Rose," Lukas began slowly, "As soon as I step back into the Nine Kingdoms, she'll kill me. There's no use in sugarcoating it. If I return without Edwin, I'll die. When Edwin goes back, either way he'll be dead. That's the best I can explain it to you, Rose."

Rosemary stood quietly, mulling over Lukas' words in the back of her head. He was afraid, for himself and even for Edwin. Although they grew up with each other, they didn't get along well, and for Lukas, the thought of his freedom from a situation caused by Edwin simply by handing him over seemed logical.

She sat next to him, much calmer. "This is what we're going to do; we're going to find Edwin, and I'm going to send you guys back _without _going to the Sixth Kingdom, okay?"

Lukas nodded, rubbing his wound from the taser. He wasn't sure how Rosemary would do it, but he trusted her.

- ♥ -

Veronica placed a blue and white baby carrier in a large cardboard box filled with Styrofoam peanuts, a cigarette dangled from her lips as she closed the box, taping it shut. She took hold of the cigarette between her two fingers, blowing the smoke through her nose. Pushing the large box to the side of the dining room table, she began placing baby clothes in another box. Veronica folded them neatly, placing them side by side.

"Ronny, you're home!" Tegan ran into the kitchen and hugged Veronica's waist tightly. Placing her cigarette in the ashtray, Veronica bent down and hugged Tegan back.

"Told you I'd be back, Tegz. Now, what are you doing getting up at 11:30 in the morning? Were you taking advantage of Mrs. Rothschild again?" Tegan was still in her dark blue pajama set, decorated in green frogs. She looked down, her long, raven black hair falling into her face.

Veronica raised her face with her hand, trying her best to hold back from laughing; she was sounding like her parents, and although it was scaring Tegan, she couldn't help it. "Well?"

Tegan looked at her, her green eyes wide, and said sadly, "I waited for you all night for you, Ronny. Even after Mrs. Rothschild sent me to bed, I waited! I'm really sorry." Sighing, Veronica hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Tegz, but things came up. But today, we're gonna go have some fun, okay? Let's say that you and I go to the beach this afternoon?"

Tegan's face lit up and her mouth went agape, nodding her head roughly. Veronica smiled. "Good; now, both of us are in _desperate _need of a shower, and the ocean _doesn't_ count! So, get your little butt into the bathroom, missy!" Before Tegan could react, there came a soft meowing. The sisters turned to the kitchen counter, where Edwin sat, staring at them. He was licking his fur, carefully avoiding his bandaged leg.

Tegan gasped, and ran from Veronica's arms to the counter. "A kitty, Ronny you got a kitty!?" Her small hands grabbed Edwin, who meowed loudly as Tegan brought him to her chest. "Can we keep him?"

Veronica stood up and reached for her cigarette, inhaling it briefly. "No, we can't- careful, Tegan! He's hurt; I found him last night on my way to work, and he was attacked by two dogs." She looked at her big sister, cuddling Edwin in her arms. "Then we _gotta_ keep him, Ronny! He's hurt, and we just can't let him go back on the streets!"

"That is where you're wrong; although he doesn't have any I.D., we're gonna check the missing pets reports and see if anyone lost him before we go anywhere near the beach," Veronica explained, taking a drag from her cigarette.

Tegan looked at Edwin, then back at Veronica. "If he's nobody's pet, _then_ can we keep him?" Much like her sister, Tegan loved cats; she had countless stuffed animals of them, and had been asking for a cat for her birthday since she could speak.

Veronica nicked off the ash from her cigarette, sighing sadly. "You know how Dad feels about pets, Tegan; Beth has wanted a dog for years, and Dad refuses to even talk about it! And don't even think about keeping him at Mom's; _Ted's allergic_, remember?"

The little girl's face dropped, clearly upset. She stroked Edwin's soft fur and kissed his furry forehead. "Then can we keep him here until Dad and Beth come home? We can keep it a secret, I promise! It's a sister-sister secret!"

Veronica leaned against the kitchen table, thinking for a moment. "We'll keep him around _one day_, and tomorrow, we're gonna check everything, and if he doesn't have an owner, we'll bring him to the pound, got it?" Tegan nodded her head, smiling widely. She then ran out of the kitchen and to her bedroom. Veronica puffed her cigarette and continued placing the clothing in the box.

_Knock, knock, knock_…

Veronica groaned; she sure was popular today. She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Approaching the door, she looked through the eyehole; Bebe and Ramón stood there, waiting. Veronica opened the door.

Bebe smiled. "Good, you made it home. We were worried sick about you, V! You forgot to call us!" She stopped herself, noticing the cigarette in Veronica's hand. "Um, Veronica… didn't you quit smoking?"

Veronica glanced at the cigarette as it burned its way toward the filter. "Well, I _did_, yeah." Taking a drag, she stepped aside, allowing a clear path. "Come in, you guys are always welcome." Her friends walked in, closing the door behind them. They followed Veronica as she walked into the kitchen, Styrofoam peanuts and baby items everywhere.

Ramón raised his eyebrows at the sight. "V, did something happen to Beth?" Veronica looked at the packages and sighed. "No, no, she's fine, but this morning I got a phone call from my dad. Last night Beth had contraction pains so-"

"Oh my God, Beth had the baby? You're a big sister… again!" Bebe squealed, clapping her hands together. Veronica shook her head, smoking the last of her cigarette. "She went into _false_ labor, and was released this morning. However, she's been put on doctor's orders to not do any traveling until the baby is born. That includes going on cruises, long car rides, and going on a jet back home."

"Are you kidding? Beth's not due for another month! So she has to spend all that time in the Bahamas?" Ramón asked, shocked. Veronica shrugged her shoulders, closing a box with tape. "I guess so. My dad called me this morning shortly after I got back home; he wants me to send all of the baby stuff to my grandmother in Florida so when she flies to meet them, she'll give them all the stuff." She took the box and sat it on top of the large box with the carrier. "Only problem is, that I have no idea how I'm gonna carry all this shit to the post office since my dad took the damn _Mazda_'s keys with him."

Veronica had her license- since she was seventeen- and her dad was the proud owner of a brand new 2008 _Mazda 3 _in metallic black. However, the problem _was_ that her father owned the brand new 2008 _Mazda 3_ and a _little_ incident that occurred when Veronica first received her license. After she had worked over a year at her first job- "_a fucking McDonald's_"- and raised up half the money to pay for a 2000 _Dodge Stratus_, which her parents backed the rest. Two days after she purchased her car, when at a stop sign in Brighton Beach, she failed to look both ways and was T-boned by another car. She hasn't had a car since, nor have her parents (and even step-parents) allowed her to use theirs.

Ramón raised his hand, and dug into his pocket. He then revealed a set of keys, dangling in front of Veronica. "This is how. That's the other reason we came over: I've bought myself a new baby!" Veronica smiled, her hands on her hips. "No shit, for real? Great, now you can drive Bebe and me _everywhere_."

He scoffed at her, placing his keys in his dull red pullover hoodie. "Forget you, bitches! I'm gonna roll with girls who don't ask for anything." Both girls strolled over, placing their heads on either shoulder of Ramón. "You wouldn't leave us, would you?" Bebe asked, pouting her lips.

"Who's as interesting as us? No one! Your life is boring without us!" Veronica smiled, tilting her head toward his. Ramón groaned, putting his hands on his hips. "Just to the post office, right?" Veronica nodded her head, puckering up her lips. He sighed. "Fine, but only because I want you to see my bitchin' car."

Veronica lifted her head, and walked out of the room. "Tegan, get out here! We're going on a little trip!" She returned and picked up one of the smaller boxes. "Because I'm your favorite, you wanna get the carrier for me?"

Ramón looked at the large box, then back at her. "You're fucking pushing your luck, V. But I will, just because I'm the man around here."

- ♥ -

"Let's face it, Olaf; we're lost."

Sven and Olaf stood on the street corner, desperately looking at their guide book, _New York City Guide for Sillies_. They had raided the bookshop in the Bowery and now were the proud owners of their book of the five boroughs of New York City. Cloaked in makeshift garbs of dark material, the goblins studied the map in the book.

"I'm doing my best to find this 'Uptown' written on the wench's carriage and I can't find a specific place," Olaf replied, holding the map up to his face. Sven placed his hands on his hips, looking over his companion's shoulder. "Sorry I couldn't have been more of a help, but I tried. The carriage moved too fast."

Olaf looked up at him, lowering the book. "Yes, that carriage, and you said that it just appeared out of nowhere, right? That requires a great deal of magic. If the wench is powerful enough to do that, she may pose a great threat to the Mistress. This is going to be more difficult than we thought, Sven. 'Uptown' is close, I can almost smell the witch! We shall destroy her and capture the intruder!"

"Uptown is nowhere near here, my friend."

The goblins turned to an adjacent newsstand, covered in trashy tabloids and other assortments. Leaning out were two hairy arms with a thick, glistening watch on the right wrist. They belonged to a heavy set Indian man, looking away from his small television that flashed scenes from an old Bollywood film. "You're barely out of Downtown, let alone Uptown, and you still need to go through Middletown." He explained dully in his thick, low foreign accent.

Olaf grunted, approaching the newsstand while keeping his hood over his face. "Then where _are_ we, human, and how long will it take us to go to Uptown?" The Indian man stared at the edge of Olaf's hood, blinking once through his small eyes. "You're in Gramercy, right between Downtown and Middletown. You're going to have to take a bus to get up there, since the subways are down, so it'll be a bit longer."

Sven approached Olaf, holding his shoulder tightly. "Thank you, human, for all your kindness," He said quickly, and pulled his companion away. They walked away toward the next block, the green tops of trees peeking behind the tall brownstones. Around the edge of a building, they hide, removing their hoods.

"Now what are we going to do, Olaf?" Sven asked, his voice low. Olaf sighed, his large hands resting on his hips; now what? It was hard enough getting to this point, but now they weren't even halfway to their destination. He needed to reorganize his strategy.

"Where is it that this _Veronica Novak_ lives?" Olaf's ears perked up at the female voice exiting the brownstone, the soles of her shoes clicking on each step. "Flushing- all the way out in Queens. I hope that traffic has cleared up by now; I just want to get Edwin and get this over with." A male voice responded, following the feminine one.

_Edwin? Where is that familiar…?_ Olaf peeked from behind the corner of the building, squinting his eyes; over the years, his vision had begun to slowly dwindle away. He certainly needed glasses, but then he would be a liability towards the Mistress' forces. There was nothing more disgraceful in his eyes than being unable to do his duties.

The two figures were approaching a small vehicle, opening their respective doors. "Let me do the talking," the female said, looking over to her companion. "We don't want a repeat of this morning _and_ the _Ink Emporium_."

Olaf blinked before he dug roughly into his pocket. He grumbled as he found what he was looking for: between his green fingers, the business card- now crumpled and the edges splitting- read in large, bold letters _The Ink Emporium_. Searching his memories, Olaf stumbled onto the one the night before, entering the small establishment. There was the little witch, with the intruder in her arms, and several feet away from her were…

The goblin smiled crookedly at his deduction: _our friends here were there last night, and if they're as persistent as us, they're going after the witch agai__n, whose name is Veronica of Novak_.

"Sven, those humans will lead us to the intruder." Sven looked at his companion, his eyebrows pushed together and his mouth twisted. "Are you sure, Olaf? I know we want to get the intruder, but just because-"

"I'll explain later; we need to follow that carriage!" The dark blue _Toyota Echo_ pulled out of the parking space and drove away, leaving the two goblins behind. Olaf grunted, and marched away in their previous direction. Sven followed him, unsure what he was doing.

The two goblins approached the same Indian man running the newsstand, his dull expression never faltering as the small fan inside blew against his skin. Olaf approached the man, his expression sour. "Tell me, human," he began, hidden his hood, "where is the province of Queens? We must get to Flushing, located in it."

The man blinked and adjusted his lazy position. "First of all, you're not even on the right island. In order to get to Queens, you need to cross the East River. Signs will direct you to Flushing."

Olaf stepped back and looked up toward the sky. Licking his finger, he held it up and allowed the wind to blow. He stood there for a moment, analyzing the results. His arm then sharply pointed outward. "East is this way! Come, Sven!"

The shorter goblin then ran off in the direction he concluded to be east, clanking along. Sven turned to the Indian man. "Thank you again, human," he said quickly before darting off to catch up with his companion.

The Indian man scratched his thick moustache, and then rested his hand in its original place. "No one in this city is normal," he concluded to himself, staring back at nothing.

- ♥ -

Rosemary parked _Toyota Echo _as close to the brownstone as she could. She and Lukas exited the car, Rosemary locking it with the press of her button. Lukas stared at the brownstone as Rosemary filled the parking meter with quarters; Edwin's scent was there all right, along with that of Veronica and a similar scent to hers.

_The little one_, Lukas concluded, remembering the younger sister in the picture frame at Veronica's job. Rosemary walked up to him. "This time, _I'll_ ask for him; you stay as far away as possible. Then, we'll figure this out back at my place, got it?" Lukas nodded, and they walked across the street and up the flight of stairs, into the brownstone.

They entered, stepping aside and allowing an older couple to pass them. Lukas glanced over and saw the locked mailboxes of the brownstone's inhabitants, causing him to wander there. Digging through his pocket, he found the small piece of paper that he had written the addresses on: Apt. 509. He scanned the names before confirming the information: 509- Novak, Michael and Elisabeth. _"She lives in Flushing out in Queens with her father…"_

"Upstairs, to the fifth floor," Lukas said, walking to the staircase. Rosemary followed him up, trailing him as they passed each floor. At the fifth floor, Lukas walked down the hall, counting off the numbers. _501, 503, 505.__ 507…_

509.

"Back off while I ask the questions," Rosemary warned, coming up from behind him. Lukas stepped to the side, avoiding the apartment in question. His petite companion approached the door and knocked firmly, waiting for a response.

Nothing.

Again, Rosemary knocked on the door and received no answer. She placed her hands on her hips and stood on her toes, attempting to look into the peephole of the door. Lukas looked at her. "This is the right address; maybe they're just not home."

Soft footsteps approached them and they looked toward them; they belonged to an older woman, specifically Mrs. Rothschild. Rosemary walked over to her. "Excuse me, miss? I was wondering if you could help us. Do you know if the Novaks are at home?"

The elderly woman looked at them, the apartment door, and then at them again. "Who are you looking for specifically now? You see, Michael and Elisabeth won't be back for awhile, but his daughters are still in town and the eldest can tend to any matters."

Rosemary smiled politely, scratching the back of her head. "Actually, we're looking our missing cat, and some people said that a girl who lives here was seen with a cat matching his description. We just want to see if she did find our little kitty."

Mrs. Rothschild smiled widely, chuckling a bit. "Oh, why, yes, Veronica came in this morning with a little cat, but I didn't see it very well and I didn't want to ask any questions; she was considerably flustered, but she usually is when she spends the night at her mother's. Unfortunately, Veronica went out over an hour ago with some friends and the littlest Novak, but she should be back soon."

Rosemary held her smile, responding, "Thank you for your help." Mrs. Rothschild waved her off as she unlocked her own apartment. "Don't mention it, dear! I hope that little cat is yours!" She walked into her apartment, softly closing the door behind her.

Lukas almost growled after the woman left; so much for getting it over and done with. "You know he's been here, Rose; his scent is everywhere!" Rosemary sighed, crossing her arms together. She looked back at apartment 509. "I know, I know. But we don't know when they're going to be back, so we got to sit tight until then. Oh, and when they do come back, amscray! If the girl sees you, she'll freak!"

Observing the door, Lukas approached it. He twisted the knob, which was particularly stubborn. Searching through his pockets again, he pulled out a twisted bobby-pin. Lukas clutched the door knob and slipping the bobby pin in the lock, twisting it several different ways.

Rosemary groaned, walking near him. "Lukas, what do you think you're doing? Excluding all moral thinking, they're not at home, and I don't think that that trick has ever worked-"

_Click_. Lukas easily twisted the door knob and pushed open the door before turning to Rosemary, smiling triumphantly. "I'm not good at a lot of things, but I can pick a lock like nobody's business, be it here or anywhere in the Nine Kingdoms." He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The apartment was much bigger than he expected, but then again, it was housing an entire family. Lukas stepped gingerly inward, but stopped as he felt a hard object beneath his foot. He looked down; a half naked Barbie doll lay there, her painted blue eyes staring back at him. In fact, most of the living room floor was covered in girls' toys, from an old Raggedy Ann doll to pink and green My Little Ponies.

Stepping over the objects, Lukas entered when he heard Rosemary follow, currently displeased with him. She closed the door behind her and relocked it in order to avoid suspicion. "Lukas, why are we in here? We should just wait for them; they're coming back soon."

"They could have left Edwin here; I just want to see if they did," He said, entering the kitchen. It was large complete with all the kitchen basics: a refrigerator, oven, sink, and cabinets all encircling the wooden table in the center. Lukas approached the nearest counter, smelling it: Edwin. Closing his eyes, he perked his ears and listened to the silence.

He wasn't there.

Rosemary sighed, walking aimlessly toward the mantle. Curious, she looked at the line of pictures: the first was an older picture of a newborn baby with gray-blue eyes. It stared blankly at the camera wielder, in the arms of thin young woman she presumed to be the mother. She glanced at the next picture, showing a five year old girl proudly stood, her smile missing lost baby teeth, in a blue M&M costume holding the hand of a tall man with jet black hair and a hooked nose, dressed in a dark blue suit. Next to that picture was the same girl in the previous picture, ten years older and with a newborn in her arms. She was in the same proud stance as before, sitting in the hospital room chair next to the same man with the hooked nose now in hospital wear, his arm around the fifteen year old.

Rosemary looked closely at the next picture; the man from the previous photos now in a black tuxedo holding the arm of a petite blonde woman wearing a simple white gown. She placed the photo down when something caught her ear: voices coming down the hallway. Her heart skipped a beat and she ran into the kitchen, grabbing Lukas' arm.

"They're here, Lukas! How are we going to explain this?" She hissed through her teeth, looking over her shoulder. Lukas gulped and looked at his surroundings: a large cabinet. He opened it and looked inside: most of the food was on the shelves against the wall, but there was enough room to fit, say, an average man and a very petite woman.

Grabbing Rosemary, Lukas pulled them in the closet, closing the door behind them. He covered her mouth, feeling her breath against his hand. "Not a word, Rose!" He whispered, his hand still grasping her arm.

- ♥ -


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Great Escape.

- ♥ -

"Well… what's wrong with it?"

With his coat removed and his sleeves rolled up, Dr. Twigbeard studied the wound of the Wicked Fairy very carefully, holding her injured hand delicately under the bright light above them. He looked back at his research spread around him and back at the wound, taking notes even as his bifocals slid down his nose. From his front pocket, he pulled out a small magnifying glass and placed it in his eyes. Fritz leaned closer to the wound, muttering under his breath and scribbling more notes down.

Removing the object from his eye, Twigbeard sighed, placing the Wicked Fairy's hand down. He carefully reviewed both his research and the notes of the condition. Fritz placed the papers down, wiping the sweat from his forehand; no other event in his life was more frightening than the one he was currently stuck in. Marriage had been worrisome and fatherhood was unnerving, but nothing like this.

"Mind you, Mistress, that the research I have is still what it is- research- and that it's not completely accurate-"

"Get on with it, you filthy, little mongoloid!" She barked, her hand remaining motionless. Her white skin managed to delve into a paler shade; her cherry red lips were now a soft pink and dark rings were emerging under her eyes. The Wicked Fairy breaths were steady but heavier than they should be, especially for a fairy.

Fritz cleared his throat. "All right, but bear with me, if you will; from our gathered research, we have come to find that a fairy's body runs on one main important source: magic. It is as necessary as water is to a human, yet it works more like the human blood flow; there are veins to carry it and nerves to control it, but they aren't dependent on the brain or the heart.

"Not to say that removal of the brain or heart won't cause injury to a fairy; rather, like humans, it would kill them. We have theorized that the magical epicenter of a fairy is located within the body part that commands their magical ability: the hand. It may sound silly, but within a fairy's hand, they are controlling a great amount of magic so it would make sense. Because the hand is the epicenter, the nerves there are extremely sensitive, and any damage there would have serious effects.

"This brings me to your problem, Mistress; fortunately for you, it seems that the arrow missed your epicenter- narrowly. Any closer and your problems would be more serious than they already are. Unfortunately, most of your nerves were hit, destroyed and now are unable to properly regulate the rest of your magical system. Magic is a vital part of a fairy's being; it helps keep in check all the other organs. Without it, everything starts falling apart."

The Wicked Fairy sighed, her good hand running through her hair. "So, what you're saying is," she began, maintaining a rational mindset, "that I cannot properly conduct magic because the part that oversees the magic in my body is destroyed and because magic cannot flow in my body properly without it, my body will collapse upon itself and I'll die?" Fritz thought it over for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table. "To put it simply- yes."

She nodded; problem explained. "Next question: how much time do I have until my body just… falls apart?" Twigbeard sighed, rubbing his head. "I can't give a definite answer, since we don't have complete definite research. When did this accident happen now?"

The Mistress twisted her mouth. "Last night," she spat, almost disappointed in herself. The doctor nodded his head and glanced at his research, scratching his head. "We've deduced this condition to last for almost a month, at most, but judging by the intensity your condition in this scope of time, I'd give you two to three weeks, if you find treatments to impede symptoms."

"Two to three weeks!? Are you _lying_ to me!?" She roared, standing up from her seat. The Wicked Fairy never took bad news well, as evidenced by her curse upon the Sixth Kingdom. She simply had not been invited to the christening and put the entire countryside in a permanent slumber.

Fritz raised his hands in defense, slumping in his seat as he shook his head wildly. "N-no, W-w-wicked-ed Fair-r-r-y! A-as your ph-ph-physician, it would b-be une-thic-c-cal!" The Wicked Fairy clenched her teeth, her body tensing up from frustration and pain. _Two to three weeks…?_ After over one hundred years of completing her revenge upon the House of Rose and fending off the Sixth Kingdom from spitfire youths desperate to liberate it, she would fall because of a cat?

She sighed. "All right, you little fool. On the third floor in the east wing of the castle, there is the Grande Library. Find me something, anything- I don't care if it only delays my expected condition, but it will give you more time to find a permanent cure!"

Fritz nodded, his small body shaken to its core. He gathered his papers quickly, meshing them out of the neat ordering system that he lived by and placed it in his briefcase, closing it with a _click_. Sliding from his seat, Dr. Twigbeard began walking out of the room, his briefcase under his arm. Suddenly, a strong force grabbed his arm and turned him around. Several inches from his face was the Wicked Fairy's, her eyes piercing his.

"Speak a _word_ of my condition, and not only will I gut your entrails in front of you, but your entire family's, as well!" She threatened, her voice low but without missing a menacing beat. Fritz's lower lip trembled and he scurried out of the room, heading toward the Grande Library.

- ♥ -

Veronica unlocked the door of the apartment and pushed it open, allowing Tegan to run past her with Edwin dangling in her arms. She sighed and stepped to the side as Bebe and Ramón walked in, closing the door behind them and locking it up once again. Ramón groaned, and glanced at Veronica. "I need to use the bathroom; is that cool?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she responded simply, "You gotta go, you gotta go." He thanked her and walked down the hall. Veronica entered the kitchen, where Bebe was sitting at the table. "Thanks for keeping an eye on Tegan, Bebe," she said, opening the refrigerator.

Bebe smiled, her chin resting in her hands. "Not a problem, V. But I think you should be thanking that cat; he did my job for me." Veronica closed the refrigerator and placed plastic blue container on the table. "Well, that cat lucked out today. His description did not match one _single_ missing cat in the entire city. I can't believe it; there's 10 million people in this city, so the amount of pets has to be double that! My brain still can't comprehend it!"

Veronica tilted the plastic container, pouring iced tea into a small plastic cup and then handed it to Bebe. Pouring herself a glass, she continued, "Well, it doesn't matter; tomorrow morning, I'll just have Mrs. Rothstein look after Tegan while she's asleep and I'll bring the cat to the pound. If my dad finds out we had an animal in his apartment, he'll slaughter us."

Bebe nodded, sipping her drink. "So… what did he say to you last night?" Veronica sat in an adjacent, diverting her eyes away. "Who, Jeff? Nothing, just usual business." Bebe rolled her eyes and groaned, pushing her drink away. "Don't fuck around; you know who I'm talking about, V, so spill it before Ramón comes back."

Veronica sighed, pushing back strands of hair behind her ears. "He wanted to fix things- get back together," she said softly, crossing her arms against the table, "I couldn't, I just couldn't do it, B."

"You did what you had to do, Veronica, and if you didn't do it, I think I'd have to downgrade you from the best friend position," Bebe stated, the ends of her mouth tugging into a smile. Veronica laughed, running her hand through her hair. "You piece of shit, you'd demote me? I'm going to have to rethink this relationship."

- ♥ -

"Where is the location of Veronica of Novak?" A soaking wet Olaf grabbed a man by his jacket, pulling him down. Sven turned away, groaning; Olaf had been grabbing nearly every person on the street since arriving at Queens, demanding to know the location of 'Veronica of Novak.' Well, rather _swimming_; ignorant of modern transportation, the East River was what seemed to be a simple crossing. That was, when the shipping boats weren't going up river.

Most people had managed to escape his grasp and scurried away. Others fought back, knocking Olaf on his rear and then running off. One woman, however, managed to summon the local authorities, sending Olaf and Sven fleeing.

The man, dressed nicely in a crisp black business suit, pulled away and managed to send a kick to Olaf's knee, dropping the round goblin. "Fucking freak!" He shouted and walked down the street to his meeting.

Sven sighed, holding out his hand for Olaf. "This isn't working, Olaf. Perhaps we should try a different method to find Veronica of Novak." Olaf gripped his hand onto Sven's, pulling himself up from the concrete. "I'm doing just fine, Sven. We just need to try harder. The witch is so close, I can smell her evil magic!"

Grasping Olaf's shoulder, Sven pulled him from the middle of the sidewalk, near the alley. "Olaf, please reconsider. We're getting nowhere with this! The intruder is technically no longer in the castle, so let's forget it and return to our posts."

The short goblin scowled, slanting his eyebrows and clenching his fists. "How _dare_ you say such a thing, Sven? Our great Mistress is depending on us, her loyal forces, to serve her and you think she should _give up_ and _return to our post_? I really do hope you come to your senses, my comrade." Olaf glanced back at the pedestrians passing by on the street before charging at a specific target. Sven rolled his eyes and jogged after him, ready to save Olaf's victims.

Hwan Lee had only been back in Flushing for a month that particular day. A biochemistry major at UCLA, Hwan was riding on a full scholarship and was an active player on the soccer team. He had promised his girlfriend Jin Ae Kwan, a senior at her high school come September, that he would take her to see the play _Wicked_, which she had been wanting to see for years.

This particular day, while walking to the bus stop in order to catch the matinee performance of Wicked, Hwan found himself the unfortunate victim of a vicious attacker. Olaf leaped onto Hwan's torso, causing him to fall flat onto the concrete sidewalk. Jine Ae, who was holding hands with Hwan prior to the attack, stumbled onto the ground. Looking over to check on her boyfriend, Jin Ae's eyes widened when she saw Olaf's fat body sitting on top of Hwan's svelte body, the water from his soaked cloak dripping all over him.

"Where is Veronica of Novak!?" Olaf shouted, clenching Hwan's shirt in his large fists. Hwan blinked, flabbergasted. He shook his head slightly, grasping onto what was happening. "Wait, who?" Grunting, the goblin shook him violently. "Veronica of Novak, the witch of your kingdom! She is protecting a fugitive of the Wicked Fairy of the Sixth Kingdom! Tell me where she is!"

Jin Ae sat there, bewildered until she heard 'Veronica of Novak.' _That_ sounded familiar. "Wait, do you mean Veronica Novak, as in Michael Novak's daughter?" Olaf turned his attention to Jin Ae, Hwan's shirt still firmly in his grip. "You know of the witch, pitiful trader from the East?"

"_What_?" The glare emitted from Jin Ae could kill a mortal man; she was very proud of her Korean ancestry, but the contempt and disrespect the goblin acknowledged it with sent her in a bad mood. It didn't go unnoticed by Hwan, as he desperately pleaded, "Baby, just tell him what he wants to know!"

She clenched her teeth, realizing that her boyfriend was still in their attacker's grip. "Michael Novak, the EADA for the Bronx, lives two blocks down from here with his wife and two kids in the last apartment building on the corner, apartment 509. I babysit for his youngest, Tegan, on a few occasions. Sure, Veronica's a bit weird, but she's not a-"

"Thank you for your help, humans." Sven had come in the nick of time, pulling Olaf off of Hwan Lee. He pulled his companion down the street, in search of apartment 509.

- ♥ -

"Hello ladies, how are we?" Ramón entered the kitchen, walking toward the table. He pulled out a chair and turned it around before sitting in it. Veronica raised her glass slightly. "Iced tea?" Putting his hand out forward, Ramón shook his head. "Sorry we couldn't do anything about the cat, V."

Veronica sighed, finishing the rest of her glass. "Don't worry about it, Ramón; I'm just gonna bring it to the pound and let them worry about it. That cat has caused me enough trouble." Bebe raised her eyebrows and twisted her mouth slightly. "But you're the one who decided to rescue it in Central Park."

"That's not even half of it," Veronica replied, her empty glass still in her hand. Ramón leaned forward, tilting his chair. "There's more?" The dark haired girl sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "Last night, when those… _things_ attacked, they found me in the streets and said 'There, in the wench's arms!' I was carrying the cat at that time when they said it, and then they chased me for about three blocks until I caught the bus for Uptown."

Veronica reached out and grasped the plastic container, tilting the iced tea into the cup. Putting it down, she held her cup and sipped it slowly. "Mrs. Rothschild watched Tegan for the rest of the night and I stayed at my mother's. She and Ted are jet-setting 7,000 miles around the world to live in the lap of luxury. Things went as they normally do at when I'm there until this morning; I woke up and got dressed, and I went to say good bye to her when I saw she was _tied up_ on her own bed, this guy sitting right next to her."

Bebe's hazel eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. "Oh my God, just out in the open like that? Was it a break in?" She asked, shocked. Veronica shook her head. "No, I think my mother _tried_ seducing him, but it didn't work out like that," She continued, "So I bolted to my room and panicked, totally unsure what to do. I mean, what the hell are you supposed to do? We confront each other: all he wants is the cat!

"Nevertheless, I defend myself successfully with the help of 'Black Beauty.'" She said proudly, digging through her bag until she found what she was looking for: she held up the taser for her friends, or rather, _black beauty_. Bebe pursed her lips. "That thing still makes me nervous, V; my dad's used them before on the job and he says they're really dangerous. He gave me pepper spray instead."

Veronica rolled her eyes, drinking from her cup. "Don't take this the wrong way, B, but you live in Bensonhurst and work near Central Park; you don't have to worry about lowlifes. I gotta travel an hour from Flushing to the Bowery five days a week; I'm only safe really is when I go to TriBeCa for school."

Ramón ran his hand over his head, brushing against his short hair. "We looked at all those missing pet reports at those animal shelters and found nothing. Suddenly, those guys come out of the woodwork willing to kill for it. That cat must shit gold or something to be that fucking wanted!"

_BANG, BANG, BANG!_

Veronica turned her head towards the kitchen exit, out to the living room door. The knocking was loud and forceful, worrying her. She rose from her seat and walked out of the kitchen, Bebe and Ramón following her. Kicking away Tegan's toys as she walked across the room, Veronica pressed herself against the thick door and looked through the peephole.

Nothing.

Pushing her eyebrows together, Veronica unlocked the bolts and opened the door. She stepped cautiously toward the threshold, looking for any signs of life.

Sven and Olaf jumped in front of her, their weapons out and ready to strike. "Veronica, witch of Novak! Bring us the intruder!" Olaf roared, pulling out a small yet deadly axe from under his damp cloak. Her mouth agape, Veronica stepped back and slammed the door shut; however, it was met the force if their weapons, sending her to the floor.

Bebe ran over to Veronica, pulling her up. The door swung open and the goblins entered, crushing Tegan's legos under their boots. Ramón stepped in front of the girls, pulling out a pocket knife from his hoodie and pointed it toward them. "Back off! What the fuck do you want?" He warned, inching closer.

Veronica ran out of the living room and into her father's bedroom he shared with Beth. Dropping to her knees, she rummaged under the bed and pulled out a thin yet wide, black box. She propped it on her legs and began pressing the numbers on the side, entering the security code. The locks unfastened, and Veronica opened the box, taking out her father's Browning Hi-power 9 mm pistol. Her father had acquired a permit and bought it 'just in case,' and Veronica felt is certainly was the case.

Ramón held his ground even as Olaf approached him. "Move, you scum and let us at the witch! She is harboring a criminal of the Sixth Kingdom and that makes _her_ a fugitive as well!" He spat, clearly not in the mood to deal with 'small fry.' Ramón lowered his weapon, raising his eyebrows. "The Sixth _what_?"

Olaf rolled his eyes and twitched his fat nose. "The Sixth _Kingdom_, ruled by our great Mistress, the Wicked Fairy. Ask your king; I'm sure he's heard of her." Ramón scoffed, closing his pocket knife and placing it back in his pocket. "Damn, you don't even know where you are, do you? This is _America_, and I know enough about history to know that we haven't had a king or anything like that in over 250 years."

Sven stepped forward, lowering his weapon. "You don't have a royal family? What is that like, how is this place run?" He asked, his eyes glistening and his voice eager. The Hispanic male shrugged his shoulders. "I can't tell you any _logistics _or anything. But the closest shit we got to that is… the Burger King?"

"Then go forth to your "Burger King' and tell him that we shall be slaying the witch of Novak and taking back the intruder," Olaf warned, his axe pointing toward Ramón.

_Bang!_

Olaf dropped his axe suddenly, clutching at his hand. Blood thinly seeped out on the back of his hand, running down his green skin. On the other side of the living room stood Veronica, the 9 mm pointed at Olaf. She clicked back the hammer, her finger firmly pressed against the trigger.

"Listen, I don't care who you are or where you're from, but get the fuck out of my apartment!" She shouted, standing still. Olaf sneered at her, his lip curled and his eyes focused. "So, Veronica of Novak, we meet again. You're a craftier witch than I presumed you were! But did you see _this_ coming!"

From his belt, Olaf produced a long, sharp knife. Despite his injured hand, he sent the knife flying toward her. Her eyes bulged, she dropped to her stomach as she avoided the knife, careful to make sure her hand wasn't on the trigger. Seizing the opportunity, Olaf and Sven ran around the trio in the living room, entering the nearest room.

Slamming the door shut, the goblins sighed. Sven looked down at his comrade. "So, Olaf, what do we do now?" Olaf ripped off a piece of his cloak, wrapping his bleeding hand in the cloth. Knotting it tightly, he grunted. "I'm not quite sure, Sven; the witch's powers are far greater than I could ever have imagined."

Olaf turned his head quickly, looking at the adjacent door of the closet. He approached it slowly, grasping the gold knob in his large hand. Opening it, Olaf looked down at a whimpering Tegan, back in her frog pajamas and clutching her purple Cheshire Cat stuffed animal. Her lip quivered as she looked back at the fat goblin, her bright green eyes filling with tears.

"Please don't hurt me!" She cried, digging her face into the Cheshire Cat. Olaf grumbled as he grabbed her small arm, pulling her from the closet and onto the purple carpet. He shook her small frame until she looked at him, her face scrunched together. "Where is the intruder, you filthy child!?"

Tegan bit her lip. "I don't know!" The tears flowed freely from her eyes as she began sobbing loudly, rubbing them away with her hand. Olaf grunted, clearly frustrated. "I know you're lying to me, you little wench," he spat through his teeth, "so tell me the truth!" But Tegan continued crying, calling loudly, "I want mommy and daddy!"

Sven cleared his throat and approached the two. "Olaf, doesn't this girl look familiar?" He said softly, looking at Tegan. Olaf looked back at the girl, tilting his head. "Never seen her before in my life." Sighing impatiently, Sven decided to come straight to the point. "No, Olaf, doesn't she look like Veronica of Novak?"

Raising his eyebrows, Olaf looked at Tegan once again, concentrating on her features; they were remarkably similar, with the same heart-shaped face, wide eyes, and short round nose. "What is your relation to Veronica of Novak, girl?" Tegan blinked her damp eyes, wiping her sleeve against her cheek. "Ronny's my sister," she stated innocently.

Despite Olaf's brutish and dull appearance, he was quick to think of last minute battle solutions and that moment was no exception.

- ♥ -

"Lukas, there is something going on in there, and we're stuck in this fucking closet!" Rosemary hissed, wiggling for any free space. Lukas rolled his eyes. "Then we're better off staying in here."

_Bang!_

The two nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard the loud noise. Rosemary looked at Lukas briefly before opening the cabinet door, stumbling into the kitchen. She walked into the living room, facing Veronica, Bebe, and Ramón. They stared at her for a moment before Bebe began, "Who are- how did you- what is-?"

"Rose, this is a bad-"

Lukas' entire body froze as he locked eyes with Veronica, stopping in his tracks. A beat barely passed before Veronica raised the gun, pointed directly toward him. "One fucking move and I'll blow your heads off!"

Rosemary looked back at Lukas, her eyes wide. Gulping, she turned back to Veronica, raising her hands in the hair. "Miss Novak, _please_ believe that we meant you no harm; all we want-"

"Is your cat back; I know! Why do you want that cat so much? What makes it so worth your time?" She asked through gritted teeth, her finger itching to pull the trigger.

_Crash!_

Veronica turned her head as Sven and Olaf reentered the room, breaking down the interior of the apartment. Olaf smiled snidely at his human adversaries. "B'gone with you humans!" He shouted before reaching into his pocket, producing a small bag. Throwing it against the floor, it exploded with thick purple smoke, filtering into the entire apartment. The others covered their mouths, coughing as the smoke swirled around them.

Rosemary covered her mouth with her sleeve, squinting her eyes as she attempted to peer through the smoke. Raising her free hand, she waved it slightly as she uttered strongly, "_Abdecken_!" The thick smoke became thinner, and the purple dissipated into thin air. The others removed their hands from their mouths, observing their surroundings.

"Edwin?" Rosemary moved from her spot, attempting to look for the cat. Veronica pointed her gun at her, clicking back the hammer. From the silence, a soft meowing bellowed, turning the heads toward Edwin as he emerged into the living room. Rosemary smiled, relieved. "Edwin, there you are! They didn't find you!"

However, Veronica lowered the gun, running past Edwin and into the room with the broken door. "Tegan?" She began calling out, pulling the covers off her bed. Desperate, she placed down the gun as she peered under the bed, finding only scattered toys. Pushing herself up, Veronica looked in the closet where there were spare blankets and pillows.

She left the room hastily, her eyes swelling with tears. She glanced briefly at her peers, her hands grabbing at the roots of her hair.

"TEGAN!?"

- ♥ -


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Gateway of Central Park.

- ♥ -

"TEGAN!?"

Veronica felt her legs weaken and tried her best to keep standing, wobbling as she entered the room. Ramón and Bebe rushed toward her, grabbing her arms and allowed her to fall softly on the debris-strewn floor. Veronica blinked once as she continued to stare into space, hot tears now running down her cheeks.

"Those things took her… I promised her…" She muttered softly, wiping the hot tears from her face with the side of her hand. _When mom left, I swore I'd take care of you when dad couldn't. Even when Beth came in and became part of the family, watching out for you isn't her responsibility. _I'm _supposed to be there; _I'm _supposed to protect you from stuff like this. I'm so sorry, __Tegan_

Rosemary walked quietly over to Edwin, scooping him up in her arms. She dug into her purse until she pulled out a small tranquilizer. The fluffy cat attempted to escape, scraping his claws across Rosemary's arm.

She winced as she prepared the needle. "Behave, Edwin! This won't hurt you!" Quickly, she stuck the needle into the back of his neck, injecting the fluid.

The soft meows weren't as soft anymore, and the sweet voice of the cat became deeper and deeper with every purr. Edwin's head flung forward as he began coughing, his paws crushing harder against Rosemary. Ramón turned his head toward them, releasing Veronica's arm as he stood up. His eyes never left Edwin as he slowly approached them, stepping cautiously over the debris.

"I don't know much about anything, but my family's had enough cats to know that they don't cough- not like that," He stated, standing in front of Rosemary.

Edwin looked up towards him, rising from Rosemary's arms. "Correct on both accounts, dear Ramón."

A collective of gasps echoed through the room, as both Veronica and Bebe stared at Edwin, their mouths agape. Rosemary glanced nervously to Lukas, her grip on Edwin tightening. However, Lukas simply shrugged as he leaned against the kitchen threshold and turned away from her. She sighed.

"I know we're asking a lot, but please bear with me. Edwin's situation is complicated," Rosemary attempted to explain.

Ramón blinked. "Edwin? It has a name?"

"Hmph!" Edwin pointed his nose in the air, turning away from Ramón. "How dare you compare me, Prince Edwin White on the Fourth Kingdom, to an animal, you lowlife!"

Ramón's face flushed red, pushing his eyebrows together. "_Lowlife_? Who the fuck do you think you are, calling me a _lowlife_!?"

Bebe quickly stood up and grabbed Ramón's arm, holding him in place. "Ramón, you're arguing with a _cat_!" She said through her teeth, attempting to keep him at bay.

Lukas, who had kept to himself until now, rolled his eyes. "Shut it, Edwin. Their friend risked her life to save yours and all you can do is insult them?"

Edwin turned to him now, narrowing his yellow green eyes. "You're one to talk, you filthy traitor! I should have known that at the sight of the goblin forces, you would have jumped sides!" He spat, upset.

The black haired man left his slouching position against the kitchen threshold and approached Rosemary, now inches away from Edwin, his face red and his ice blue eyes searing. "You _tricked_ me into bringing you there! I should've listened to my better judgment and left you there, but I didn't! Huff puff, I should've, instead of being nearly killed by the Wicked Fairy! You didn't care about my safety and whether I was alive or dead; you didn't even care about what your parents felt, which is why you ran off when they were out of the country! You lied to your sixteen year old sister about where you were going, and you didn't think twice about leaving your kingdom in her hands! You're ready to liberate one kingdom when you don't even think of your own!"

"That's enough, Lukas!" Rosemary said sharply, her voice shaking.

Lukas turned his head to Rosemary, his expression still the same. "You'll never take my side, Rose," He began, his voice less angry, "Not even when an innocent little girl is now involved."

Rosemary looked over to Veronica, still on the ground; her face was blank and void of emotion. She glanced back down at Edwin. "Edwin…" she began softly.

"I know, Rosemary," he interrupted, and leapt out of her arms and onto the floor. He moved swiftly past Bebe and Ramón and stopped in front of Veronica. "Veronica Novak, I don't know where to begin with both thanking you… and apologizing. You have been good to me; you saved my life countless times, and I repay you by having your sister held hostage. I swear, by my title and royal birth right, that I will help you rescue your sister, even if it kills me!"

Veronica turned her head slowly towards Edwin, closing her eyes. She shut them tightly until they finally opened. "I can't believe I'm talking to a cat," she muttered, shaking her head.

Edwin sighed, placing his paws against her knees. "Well, I'm not really a cat, but I'll rescue your sister, even if I have to stay in the form forever."

She smiled gently and stroked his fur. "Thank you, _Edwin_," she said, speaking his name like a foreign word, "Now, what are those… _things_, and where did they take Tegan?"

Edwin twitched his nose in disgust. "Those 'things' that have your sister are goblins, the official henchmen of the Wicked Fairy of the Sixth Kingdom, their mistress."

Veronica's ears perked up; that name was certainly familiar. "The Mistress," she whispered, "they kept mentioning her. But who the hell is she?"

"She is the one who cast a spell upon the Sixth Kingdom, cursing them into an eternal slumber. That is, unless a young man can defeat her; he must then kiss the princess of the kingdom, Briar Rose, and awaken her, breaking the spell."

"Like _Sleeping Beauty_?" Bebe blurted, intrigued. Edwin turned his head toward her. "So you've heard of the story, eh? It _is_ an impressive tale."

Ramón pushed his eyebrows together and scratched the back of his head. "But didn't Sleeping Beauty eventually get rescued by some prince, both in the _Disney_ movie _and_ the _Grimm's Fairytales_ book? The way you put it, it sounds like that didn't happen."

"Because it _never_ happened," Rosemary stated quietly, crossing her arms, "The Grimm brothers were, for the most part, accurate with the history of the Nine Kingdoms, but you must remember this: they made it into a collection of stories, and they couldn't have left it as a cliffhanger. So, they made their own ending."

A heavy sigh came from Ramón as her rolled his eyes. "This fucking 'kingdom' bullshit again- is anyone gonna bother explaining it?"

Lukas cleared his throat, stepping closer to the others in the room. "I think it's better if we talk about this later. The goblins are probably halfway to Central Park with the girl by now, and if we don't hurry up, they'll get through the mirror and close it and we'll be back at square one."

Veronica picked up Edwin, holding him in front of her face. "We have to get Tegan back- I don't know what those _goblins_ want with her, but I'll do whatever it takes."

The cat nodded his head. "All right then, Miss Novak, let's get moving!"

"We're coming with you!" Ramón announced unexpectedly, approaching Veronica.

She blinked and shook her head slightly. "No, this is my problem; you guys don't need to be-"

"Veronica, you're our best friend," Bebe said sweetly, kneeling down beside her, "and Tegan is your sister; therefore, its B.F.F. code to help you. I don't care how many goblins and fairies and cats we have to get through, but we're gonna get her back."

Smiling gently, Veronica hoisted herself up, cradling Edwin carefully in her arms. She paused, looking around at her father's apartment; the large front door was severely cracked, with wooden splinters scattered across the carpet. Adjacent to her was a dark stain in the carpet, caused by Olaf's bleeding.

She sighed. "How the hell am I going to explain this to my father? He's gonna slaughter me," She mumbled, worried.

Veronica nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a soft had on her shoulder, and turned to see Rosemary there, holding her messenger bag and Bebe's purse. "I'll take care of it," she winked as she handed them their bags and pushed Veronica toward the door, her friends in tow.

As Lukas followed them, Rosemary grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Play nice with Edwin," she warned through her teeth, "and _be nice_ to Veronica, and her friends." Lukas growled as he pulled away, and marched out of the room.

Finally beside herself, Rosemary observed the room around her. She clasped her hands together. "_Anständig_!"

- ♥ -

Tegan wailed loudly as the goblins ran down the streets of Manhattan, the little girl slung over Sven's shoulder. Several people turned their heads as Tegan's cries passed them- only to look away at they turned the corner. The subways being closed only frustrated many New Yorkers even more, to the point where a crying girl was being ignored.

Olaf smiled to himself at the brilliance of his plan; the witch, Veronica of Novak, was especially strong, he was sure of this. But her sister- "the Littlest of Novak" as Sven affectionately called her- did not possess the "power" Olaf swore that Veronica possessed, and what way to get the intruder back than to hold the Littlest of Novak as ransom?

The goblins finally reached the edge of Central Park, its trees blooming brilliantly that late June afternoon. They ran down the cobblestone path, maneuvering around several joggers. The wet cloaks they wore became a deterrence, as Olaf struggled to keep his hood from drooping over his eyes.

Suddenly, he jumped to the side, narrowly missing the white horse-drawn carriage. The horse neighed, frightening the Asian tourists in the soft red seats. The driver, a tall Eastern European man built like a wall, stood from his seat and shook his hand at Olaf, shouting at him in a Slavic tongue.

"I have no time for you, human!" Olaf spat, rising up and continued to run with Sven, despite his declining breaths.

"Mommy, daddy!" Tegan sobbed, pulling at Sven's wet cloak.

The svelte goblin frowned. "Olaf, do you really think we should have involved the Littlest of Novak? She's only a little girl…"

Olaf cut through the fresh green grass meadow, grunting. "This is a matter of security, Sven! No one is safe when the greatness of the Mistress is at stake, especially not the sisters of witches!" He ducked as entered the bushes, brushing away the leaves from his face.

Finally, beneath the brush, there was the misshapen area of the park, the gate to the Nine Kingdoms. Olaf stepped through the passage, disappearing.

Sven gulped, and clung tightly to Tegan. Slowly, he walked through the mirror, leaving behind New York City.

- ♥ -

The goblins entered the Wicked Fairy's castle, regaining their balance. Tegan continued her crying until her eyes lay upon the sleeping form of Briar Rose, her platinum hair glistening in the afternoon sun and her translucent skin remaining perfect. Her plump, ruby red lips remained motionless, calming the screaming girl. Tegan's wide green eyes refused to leave the form of the sleeping princess, completely mesmerized.

"C'mon, Sven; let's appease our Mistress," Olaf grunted and began walking down the long flight of stairs. Sven nodded and turned to leave. However, he stopped, and looked back at the barnacle strewed mirror humming loudly in the normally quiet room. Noticing the hanging circular latch, he turned it around until the reflection of Manhattan all but disappeared.

- ♥ -

Olaf and Sven approached the master bedroom of the castle, belonging to their Mistress. The plump goblin knocked loudly, his giant fist slamming against the door. At first there was no answer, prompting the goblin to bang harder.

"WHAT IS IT NOW, YOU UNGRATEFUL FOOLS?" The Wicked Fairy howled as she swung the door open, causing the goblins to jump back. Olaf stood wide eyed, frightened completely.

Sven bit his lower lip. "Mistress, we've found the intruder."

Her infuriated expression melted into one of surprise; she honestly didn't believe that any of her goblin troops would be able to accomplish such a feat. Still, the absence of the world "captured" was not lost on her.

"If you've found him, then why haven't you brought him to me?" She asked sweetly, causing the goblins to blush profusely.

Olaf stammered his words before stating, "W-well, y-you see, M-m-mistress, it's a b-bit more co-co-complicated than that…"

The Wicked Fairy frowned, sending shivers down the goblins' spines. "Complicated? All you need to do is bring the little kitty to me; how more complicated can it be?"

Olaf felt his legs shake uncontrollably and gulped loudly. "Um, umm… we don't _have_ the intruder necessarily, but we know where he is! He's taken refuge with a witch!"

"A _witch_? How powerful a witch?" The Wicked Fairy asked cautiously in a low voice.

"Very powerful- she summoned a huge carriage at will and compressed rock through a small mechanism!" Olaf explained, his hands animating his words. "We knew we stood no chance against her, so we took her younger sister as leverage!"

Sven pulled Tegan off his shoulder and placed her on the hard castle floor in front of the Wicked Fairy. She looked at the fairy briefly before her eyes welt up in tears.

The Wicked Fairy began breathing heavily, leaning against the threshold of her doorway to hold herself up. This was the last thing she needed- to have a powerful witch attack her at her weakest point. She couldn't believe that her own two soldiers had set this up; they didn't know the extent of the situation, all things considering, but they had signed her death warrant as soon as they kidnapped the girl.

"Take her to the dungeons," She commanded softly, turning around to enter her room. She needed to lie down, to clear her head and hope that the pathetic little dwarf would live up to his reputation…

"Her clothes are damp, Mistress, and the dungeons are a bit cold, even during this time of year; might I suggest we bring her a temporary set?" Sven asked brightly, his hands on Tegan's shoulders.

The Wicked Fairy spun around, eyeing the goblin. "Why, because she is a little girl? Quit talking nonsense, you imbecile; before you know it, you'll want me to give her a room of her own and her own servants! I thought they trained soldiers better than this worthless expression of militarism!"

She stepped back into her room and slammed the door shut, the locks clicking into place.

- ♥ -

"It should be over here," Lukas threw over his shoulder, running through Central Park. Veronica, Bebe, and Ramón followed, Edwin in Veronica's arms. It took them over an hour to arrive there through bus; the subway situation had not improved.

They ran across the grassy meadow, into the trees and bushes. Pushing past the branches, Lukas stopped in his tracks, frozen in place. It was gone, the link through the mirror to the Nine Kingdoms; the goblins were smarter than they thought and had cut them off. Or perhaps stupider, but it didn't matter at this point.

"What's wrong?" Veronica asked, stopping short behind Lukas with Bebe and Ramón. Although he was helping her find her sister, she still didn't trust him, and who could blame her? He tied up her mother and attempted to seduce her in order to get Edwin; she had no reason to. But his impassioned plea at her apartment had left her mistrust faltered, despite her better judgement.

Lukas examined the area, just to be sure. After sniffing the canvas, he whimpered. "They closed it," he mumbled, frustrated, "Those damn goblins closed it."

"They closed the mirror? Are you sure, Lukas?" Edwin asked, peering out of Veronica's arms.

The dark haired man nodded slowly and sighed. "Positive. Without that mirror turned on, there is no way there. Unless…" He trailed off, becoming lost in thought.

Lukas turned to Veronica. "Let me borrow your phone," he demanded, holding out his hand.

Veronica raised her eyebrows. "What for?"

"I need to call Rosemary," He growled, impatient.

Groaning, Veronica dug into her bag and pulled out her black Samsung. "Hurry up," She said quickly as she handed it to him.

Lukas opened her phone and began recollecting what Rosemary's exact number was; it had been awhile since he was last in New York, and barely remembered anything other than what he despised about the place.

Finally, he managed to get her correct number and sent out the call, waiting impatiently for her to pick up. "Rose, it's me," Lukas began when Rosemary answered, "Look, we have a situation here. I need you at the gateway, immediately."

He paused, listening to her. "They _closed_ the mirror, Rose! I know you can reopen it with that, um… yeah, that stuff you do, and it's the only way we're getting in." Again, he paused. "Twenty minutes? We'll be waiting."

Lukas closed the phone and gave it back to Veronica, putting it back in her bag. "She'll be here soon," He informed the group, pacing around.

"What is this _mirror_ business and why is it so important?" Ramón asked, curious.

"In the Nine Kingdoms, there are many magic mirrors, and two of them allow us to travel back and forth between there and here," Lukas explained, rubbing his nose.

Edwin cleared his throat. "Well, there _used_ to be _three_…"

Ramón glanced at Edwin. "_Used_ to be?" He asked skeptically.

"Long story, we don't the time. Time is essential if we want to get the little girl back alive," Lukas interrupted quickly, continuing his pacing.

Veronica looked away, cradling Edwin gently. A long silence commenced within the group, each person keeping to themselves. Lukas knew that the more he revealed to his companions the more he would upset them; within the course of a day, they discovered another universe that threatened a young girl's life.

Edwin couldn't find a voice to say anything else; the guilt was overwhelming. How stupid he was, to go after what seemed impossible and involve Veronica and Tegan. He had also brought Veronica's closest friends into the situation, who were willing to do anything to help.

"Would they really… kill her?" Veronica finally asked Lukas, then eyed Edwin in her arms.

Edwin sighed. "Those Goblins wouldn't do anything without the Wicked Fairy's command. They are completely loyal and anything they do, it's for her best interest. I doubt that your sister would be of any significance to her, but I'm not willing to take that risk."

"Again, why would they take her?" Ramón insisted, leaning against the trunk of a tree. "Tegan is almost six years old and is, for the most part, harmless. She did nothing to piss off this Wicked Fairy or any of those crazy goblins-"

"But _I_ did," Veronica almost whispered, her body tensing. "They kept calling me a witch, and demanded that I hand the cat- um, Edwin- over to them. I didn't think that they'd _kidnap_ her!"

Bebe wrapped her arms around Veronica, shushing her softly. "You didn't know, V, so quite blaming yourself. We're gonna get her back before your parents ever realize she's missing."

Veronica's gray-blue eyes widened. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, "My parents are gonna _slaughter_ me! Dad's not gonna be back for another month, but my mother is coming back to New York in three weeks, and is picking up Tegan as soon as she leaves LaGuardia! We need to get to these… whatever the fuck they are- _now_. Where is Rosemary?"

"Right here," Rosemary chimed, the light through the leaves moving across her face as she walked toward Lukas. Her eyes turned to the empty space in front of her and she observed it for a moment, her hand gently caressing it.

Her hand dropped to her side, and she sighed. "I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee anything," she stated, closing her eyes. Rosemary stood motionless, standing in front of the empty space. Slowly, she raised her hand again.

"_W__iderspiegeln_," Rosemary shouted crisp voice, forcing her hand through the empty space. Her hand hit hard against what seemed to be nothing. Near her hand, small ripples leaked out and faded, only inducing more ripples when the once empty space became consumed in invisible waves.

Edwin slipped out of Veronica's arms and approached the portal, the gateway to the Nine Kingdoms. He turned back to his comrades. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have a little girl to save!" the prince announced in his bravest voice, and jumped through the rippling portal, disappearing.

Ramón pushed himself from the tree trunk, approaching the mirror. His hand gingerly touched the waves, disappearing behind it. He immediately pulled it back out and observed his fingers: all five were there, remaining exactly how he remembered them. Taking in a breath, Ramón followed Edwin in, lost behind the ripples.

Bebe gasped, jumping up from Veronica's side and ran toward the portal. She stopped short before it, her body frozen in place. Lukas, standing beside her, rolled his eyes and with a 'gentle' push, sent her through to the other side.

Veronica's eyes widened, her mouth agape. "Bebe, Ramón!" she shouted, worried. In a matter of minutes, she had watched her two best friends and her new ally disappear into thin air.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grasp her arm, pulling her up from the grass. Lukas stood in front of her, his ice blue eyes piercing through her.

Dragging her, he brought Veronica closer to the portal, telling her sternly, "Just step through the gateway; it won't hurt, but skipping through worlds might cause you to lose your balance." Veronica observed the portal, watching the ripples flow gently; this world, these 'Nine Kingdoms,' brought a cat who was really a prince, a mysterious woman, a man who seemed to bounce back and forth between good and bad, and two weird _things_ that kept terrorizing her and stole her sister.

_Tegan_, she repeated in her mind, and sighed. Her sister was by herself in that world that Veronica could only describe as 'crazy.' It had to be- with all the citizens from it as previously mentioned, the world must have been filled with nutjobs. But none of them were going to protect her sister, and knew what she had to do.

Closing her eyes, Veronica stepped through the gateway, in search of her Tegan.

_My name is Veronica Novak, and I have no idea what I'm getting myself into_.

- ♥ -

* * *

_Hey guys, it's me, Hola-Meg-a-Cola, also known as Meghan. I really tried avoiding putting an author's note at the end of the chapters, but I felt the need to with this chapter. _

Incased you didn't notice, it's been about three months since my last update. Sorry about that; college life is tough, and I'm in the middle of midterms and my spring break begins on March 17th, so life's a little crazy at the moment. I have a ton of homework to do, but I really wanted to get this chapter out soon before I forgot about it.

Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, which are like three people, but remember; it's fan fiction sin to read and not review. I wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, and an early St. Patrick's Day to my fellow "plastic paddies."

Love always,  
Meghan aka Hola-Meg-a-Cola 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Willkommen, Besucher!_

**- v -**

Veronica felt her skin tingle as she passed through the portal, the bright afternoon sun eclipsed instantly. Her eyes widened as the New York skyline appeared in front of her, glowing brightly against the dark summer night sky. Beneath her, her feet felt light, like floating in midair. It made sense; she was viewing New York City from a bird's eye angle, something that the tourists went crazy about and she never quite understood why until now.

Materializing in front of her were the thick silver outlines of a door, or possibly a mirror's frame. It rushed towards her, shattering as it passed through her. Another mirror frame crashed through her, the sharp shattering ringing through Veronica's ears. More came, each crashing through as like the last, the next coming faster and faster. Veronica felt the pit of her stomach tighten, as more and more mirrors smashed, crashed, shattered-

Her foot finally touched ground, pulling her from the portal. Veronica cringed as she appeared in her new surroundings, the ripples tugging at the ends of her skin. She rubbed her arms through her dark gray baja pullover, attempting to alleviate the goosebumps that rose from her skin.

The bright afternoon sun appeared as vivid as ever as it shone across Veronica's face, causing her to raise her hand in a poor attempt to block it. Suddenly, the sun's blinding rays mattered little as Veronica gaped at the room before her, lowering her hand to her side. The room was large, not as large as the galleries at her school in TriBeCa, but it was rustic, and most certainly foreign. Two large windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling, velvet maroon curtains pulled to the side.

Veronica felt herself drawn into the room, walking towards the statues in the far corner of the gallery, carved in the finest marble she had ever seen. The statue on the left was of an older man, with long hair covered by a tall, warm hat and a flowing beard. His clothing was elaborate, covered in fine little snow flakes and the cuffs of his jacket with carved fluff. In one hand he held a walking stick, decorated in a revolving knot pattern.

The statue on the right, however, was the perfect specimen of manhood; tall nude figure with tight muscles rivaled Michelangelo's _David_, and she certainly did not use that comparison often. The figure held a sword in one hand, holding his pointed sword toward the ceiling. In his other hand, he held the reigns of a horse; from its back, four wings were sprouted, spread out widely.

She wanted to touch them, feel the curves, the fine stone they were carved into. Her feet moved toward the immaculate statues, her eyes set-

"Platform," a voice broke her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. Veronica blinked and turned around, briefly looking at the speaker. Lukas held her arm tightly, those ice blue eyes of his catching her off guard once again. The man had a habit of doing that to her, something that truly bothered her; after all, he tied up her mother and attempted to sweet talk her into giving up Edwin, and she knew she should keep on her toes around him.

Lukas sighed, his head turning slightly away from her and looked down at something behind her. "We're on a platform, dollop," he explained, looking back at her, "and you were heading for a nasty trip."

Veronica turned around to where Lukas had been indicating; at her feet was the edge of the wooden floor she was standing on, with another floor about half a foot below it. She thought over Lukas' words when she realized that she was about to walk toward the pieces of art, was going to miss the step and would have fell flat on her face.

She blushed faintly. "Thanks," she muttered, and looked back at the strange room, suddenly not as big as when she first glanced at it. "What is this place?" The girl asked involuntarily, taken aback by the room again.

"Good question," the familiar voice of Edwin offered, causing Veronica to search for its owner. The prince-turned-cat stood in the middle of the room, beneath the thick hemp rope that encircled the platform. Next to him were Bebe and Ramón, equally entranced by the room as Veronica had been.

Veronica felt Lukas' grip loosen, hearing him sigh heavily. She turned around and saw him approach a tall mirror, its thick frame painted in gold leaf and carved with an elaborate design. However she felt herself inaudibly gasp as she saw the reflection in the mirror; it was New York City, just as they had left it, no longer the night scene she had seen while traveling at their new destination but the warm afternoon at Central Park. Standing there, on the other side, was Rosemary, smiling gently and waving back at them.

Grasping the misplaced circle carving dangling from the frame, Lukas pushed it back into place, immediately sealing the reflection. Veronica's face dropped, the memories of everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours and why she had left her beloved city rushing back to her.

As she turned away, something else caught her attention: there were more mirrors, four more to be exact, in different sizes and shapes from the one she and her friends had appeared. Veronica stepped toward a large, circular one, her hand reaching out to touch it.

Lukas' tight grip hers tightly, pulling her away from it. He turned her around, pulling her closer to his face. "Do not, and I'll say this _only once_, do _not_ touch _any_ of these mirrors, _other than_ the traveling one," He warned in a low voice, almost growling his words.

Pulling her hand away roughly, Veronica's gray-blue eyes stared him back down. "Fine," she replied curtly and quickly turned away from him. She approached the edge of the platform, squatting down and sliding off the edge.

Veronica walked over to her friends, her hand gripping the strap of her messenger bag. "Some place, eh?" she said, looking back at the room.

"I'll say," Bebe remarked, twirling her blonde twirl between her fingers.

Edwin sighed as he stared at the five mirrors on the platform, standing in a perfect horizontal row. "So much for keeping the 'Queen's Mirrors' under complete security," He stated, looking away. "I told my parents it was a bad idea, but they wouldn't listen."

Veronica's hand touched the rope barrier, following it with her hand until it reached a small, wooden plank. Ducking under the rope, Veronica emerged on the other side and inspected it closely; it was a sign, with black cursive letters writing:

_Do not touch, on orders of the Emperor  
__Berühren Sie, sich nicht auf Auftrag des Kaisers_

"_Berühren Sie_," she repeated softly, her hands grappling the thick sign. She glanced back up to the English text, then back at the foreign language.

Bebe peeked over the rope, squinting her eyes at the smaller text. "What is it, V?" she asked, her hands against the rope.

Veronica released the sign, stepping back. "It's German," she explained, placing a piece of her hair that managed to escape her crude ponytail behind her ear.

Lukas signed, placing his hands on his hips. "German," he repeated, pursing his mouth, "If they're using both English and German, we have to be in the Fifth Kingdom."

Edwin held his head low and groaned. "The Fifth Kingdom, of course; who else would have left the mirrors unsupervised than those filthy barbarians?" He spat, content dripping through his voice.

"'Barbarians' is a pretty harsh term," Ramón suggested, his hands in the pocket of his red hoodie. "They can't be all that bad if they created a place like this."

Edwin scoffed, sitting at Veronica's feet. "You'll see for yourself how they are here, and will soon see that this is _nothing_ compared to the castles my family owns in both the Fourth and First Kingdom."

Lukas leaped off the platform, quickly gaining his balance. He ducked under the rope and walked toward the door between the two statues, scratching his face. "We have to be careful; depending on where we are in this kingdom, we could encounter friendly citizens… or possibly hostile," Lukas growled as he attempted to turn the door handle, the rusty silver knob refusing to move.

Ramón jumped over the rope, jogging over to Lukas. "Easy, man," He said, slowing down as he reached the door.

Picking up Edwin, Veronica sighed as she watched the two men work at the door, bickering with each other. "It's gonna be a long rescue mission," she said, allowing Edwin to curl up in her arms.

**-v-**

Olaf grunted as he walked down the steep staircase of the castle, down into the dungeons. The Wicked Fairy's anger had put him into a bad mood, causing him to muse over his actions; perhaps he should have listened to Sven, and just have abandoned their quest. But his intentions were in the right place, and he had only wanted to make his Mistress happy.

It had been years since anyone had been kept in the dungeons, a putrid stench still sitting in the air. The sound of rats scurrying across the floor echoed against the stone walls, which only proved as a distraction from the constant dripping of water.

Sven lit the torches set in the wall, illuminating the dank place. Even the goblins in the castle could barely stand the pitch black that seized every inch of the castle it could. Beside him was a frightened Tegan, her green eyes red and puffy from all the time she had spent crying; she had only stopped recently because she had nothing _left_ to cry out.

A rusty _creak_ bellowed out, startling the tall goblin and the young girl. Olaf's grumpy expression could be seen under the dim glow of the torches as he held open the heavy wooden door. "Get in, girl," he ordered, motioning with his torch.

Sven's mouth twisted as he looked into the black cell, and he placed his hand on Tegan's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "There is anything… _brighter_, Olaf? It is rather spooky down here."

"That is none of our concern, Sven," the stout goblin snapped, his eyebrows furrowing against each other. "The Mistress wants the girl in the dungeons, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that this is a dungeon." Olaf was quite fed up with Sven's affection for the little girl; since they saw her in New York, he had been watchful of her, almost like a big brother. It wasn't right, being sympathetic towards the enemy and Olaf would not be embarrassed by him anymore.

Tegan stepped forward, walking up to Olaf. "Fine, you big jerk," She stated boldly, her voice still upset. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine if that was what Veronica would do; Tegan always admired her sister, and the way her sister stood up to people always made the little girl proud to be related to her.

Olaf walked into the cell and lit the torches there, lightening up the small room. "Enjoy your new home, Littlest of Novak," He growled, stepping aside as Tegan walked into the cell, her head held high and her bottom lip quivering.

Stomping out the cell, Olaf swung the door shut, locking it with a _click_. He placed the large key in his pocket and moved toward the staircase, looking over his shoulder. Sven was still near the cell, staring blankly at the door.

"Come, Sven; let's return to our post," Olaf stated, walking up the staircase.

However, the svelte goblin remained motionless. "Go on without me, Olaf; someone needs to watch the 'prisoner.'"

Olaf grunted impatiently. "I'm not very smart, Sven," he began, turning around and walking back down the stairs, "But I know when I'm being tugged around like a fool. Leave the witch's sister be; unless the Mistress directs otherwise, you're required to return to your post."

"That'll be on _my_ head, Olaf; now, if you're so concerned with doing your job, do it. As for me, I will be guarding Mistress' prisoner," Sven stated, leaning against the cell door.

The short goblin tightened his grip around his torch; the two goblins rarely saw eye-to-eye on many things, but in the end, they cared about each other like a brother-in-arms should, and Olaf was seriously concerned for his comrade. But there was nothing he could do for him if he insisted on being so stubborn.

"It's on your head, brother," he sneered, and descended up the stairs, the glow of his torch fading.

Sven sighed; he really liked Olaf as his comrade. Out of all the goblins in the Wicked Fairy's army, he was one of the most dedicated, albeit not the most intelligent. Still, he had been surprised on more than one occasion of how knowledgeable he was, and had great respect for him.

Still, Olaf was a soldier from another generation, one were children were a casualty of war like anyone else. Sven didn't see it that way; children were innocent, and had no place in war. Taking Veronica of Novak's sister was a cruel strategy, one that Sven initially refused to play.

"Mr. Monster?" A tiny voice inquired, speaking from behind the door. Sven smiled weakly; Tegan.

"Yes, Littlest Novak?"

"Thank you for staying with me," Tegan said softly.

Sven's weak smile strengthened. "You're very welcome."

**-v-**

Lukas walked cautiously into the next room of the building, his eyes surveying the new area. To his surprise, the larger room was deserted of life, desks, maps, and other accessories left idle. He turned his head back and forth one last time. "Looks like we're in a town hall, but no one's around," he called out, reassuring them.

Veronica stepped out of the room, Edwin still in her arms. She observed the room around her, so caught up in her surroundings that she failed to notice another sign in front of her. The wooden sign hit into her upper torso, not hard, but enough to spook Edwin.

"Sorry, Edwin," she apologized, and grabbed the wobbling sign with a free hand. Despite the prince's groans, Veronica's attention was sparked as she read the sign:

_The Five Mirrors of the Evil Queen  
__Die fünf Spiegel der schlechten Königin_

She pushed her eyebrows together. "The Evil Queen? I'm guessing she wasn't too popular?" Veronica repeated her thoughts, still blankly starting at the sign.

"Not in any sense," Edwin answered, "She poisoned my grandparents and tried to do so with my father. He was saved just in time, and she was thrown in the Snow White Memorial Prison."

"The _Snow White_ Memorial Prison?" Ramón's voice asked, turning toward Veronica and Edwin. He was further out into the room, adjacent to another tall statue. "You guys sure have a fixation on fairytales."

Edwin sighed. "Didn't you listen to anything Rosemary said? What you know as 'children's stories' is a rich part of our history, all of it actually occurring. Both Snow White and Cinderella are my great-grandmothers."

Ramón scoffed, turning his attention elsewhere. "Yeah, okay, and my uncle's the Pope," he muttered, walking away aimlessly.

Confused, Edwin glanced up at Veronica. "The _who_?"

Veronica shook her head. "Never mind him," she said, walking away from the sign and felt herself drawn to the new center of her attention: the large map set on the wall, boldly stating _The Nine Kingdoms_. "Let's get back to the matter at hand."

Edwin sighed, looking up at the map. "Well, from the sound of it, it seems like you already know most of our history," he began, pushing his front half up. "Or at least, the good parts. Well over 200 years ago, five women changed the world: Snow White, Cinderella, Queen Riding Hood, Gretel the Great, and the Lady Rapunzel. They revolutionized society, and brought a great period of prosperity and the common goal for 'Happy Ever After!'

"Unfortunately, the five great women have been long dead, leaving their descendants to run their great kingdoms. Despite our best efforts, we still fell into decadence, ruin, and war. I guess you could say we fell into the 'Dark Ages,' and only now is there some form of escaping it."

Veronica stared at the map, glancing from kingdom to kingdom. Her eyes reached the Fifth Kingdom, with a large red star placed in the northern part of the kingdom a short way from a castle. _You are here_, it read, _the village of Gansberg!_

She placed her finger on the red star. "So, we're here at Gansberg, and we need to get _all _the way over…" Her finger slid across the map, grazing left until it hit the large letters of _The Sixth Kingdom_. "… here."

Veronica observed the distance between the Fifth and Sixth Kingdom and groaned, her hand dropping down to her side. "Shit," she cursed, her eye still focused on the map.

"V, come on; we're leaving!" Bebe called, interrupting her thoughts. Veronica blinked, stepping backwards before walking towards the large doors of the town hall's exit.

At the doors, Veronica stopped short, grasping the large wooden structure as Bebe walked forward. The loud hum of Bavarian music filtered into the entrance of the town hall, startling her. She slipped through the open door, only to meet a sea of purple on just about, well… _everything_.

Veronica shut the door behind her. "Well, that explains why the town hall was deserted," she mused, standing next to Bebe.

Lukas peered out at the large crowds of people, from the scattered bands in brown lederhosen playing their brass instruments accompanied by a lively accordion to the bratwurst vendors as they cooked small treats for passing customers. "The Fifth Kingdom is known for their festivals-considering there are so many."

"No kidding," Ramón replied as he stared at the wooden signed nailed to the town hall. "This sign lists all the festivals per year- I stopped counting!" He looked over to Edwin. "Still, I don't see why you called them-"

Bebe shrieked, covering her mouth with both hands, her brown eyes wide. "Oh my God," she said through her hands, "Those people don't have any clothes on!" Sure enough, in the vast masses of the crowd, there walked a group of people, _sans _clothes. Even out of the group, there was still countless other who opted for nudity.

"See," Edwin said dryly, remaining undaunted in Veronica's arms. "Barbarians."

Lukas rolled his eyes, running his hand through his black hair. "Come on; even in a festival, I'm sure there is someone who can get us to the other side of the kingdoms, or at least, out of this one." He began weaving through the crowds, leaving the rest of the group to try and follow him. Ramón did the best, slipping through and bumping into other unmercilessly. However, Bebe and Veronica were not so lucky, lost in the crowds. Both girls called out their names, giving them no response.

Veronica sighed. "This is ridiculous. Let's just sit down somewhere, Bebe; they'll _eventually_ realize we're not there," She concluded, grabbing onto Bebe's denim jacket and pulling her to the edge of the crowds where there was a grassy green hill, void of vendors. The girls sat in the late spring grass, watching as the people passed before theme.

Bebe pulled her knees to her chest, her chin resting in her hands. "Fifteen minutes in this place, and we're already lost," she stated, exasperated.

"You're not from around here, are you?" A jovial voice asked, brisk and commanding. Both Veronica and Bebe looked up to see a tall young man in front of them, dressed in a plain white shirt with large suspenders. His jaw was thick and his smile was bright against the blue sky, with a bright red cap atop his brown hair.

Bebe smiled sweetly. "No, we're not," she confirmed, "But we got lost from our group, so we're waiting for them to find us."

He frowned at this. "Lost? Who would dare lose two beautiful women like you?" The handsome man asked, his large hands on his thick waist.

The blond twisted her mouth, turning her eyes away. "A couple of idiots, that's who. We have no idea where we are, and they didn't bother looking for us when they lost us in the crowd."

The young man laughed heartily, responding, "I see; well, if you want, I can keep you company and show you around. My name is Klaas, and you ladies are…?" He held out each hand, one towards both girls.

Grabbing onto one, Bebe pushed herself from the grassy hill but not before glancing at Veronica, her eyes glistening with eagerness and her sweet smile returning. "Barbara, Barbara Charlton, but everyone just calls me Bebe," she responded, in awe of him. Veronica almost snickered; Bebe only gave people her entire name when she wanted to appear classy, mainly with good looking boys.

Eventually Veronica noticed Klaas's hand and held up her own. "I got it, thanks," she said, remaining seated. The young man shrugged his shoulders, and concentrated his attention on Bebe, linking her arm in his, and led her away from the hill and towards the crowds.

Edwin hissed as their backs were turned to them, leaning against Veronica's arms. She looked down at him, confused. "What's up, Edwin?"

He kept his teeth bared. "That man isn't a man," he stated, his claws bared.

Veronica looked back at Bebe and the man Klaas, studying him. Average height, average build, no tails or other tell-tale signs of otherwise. "He looks like one to me," she concluded.

The prince hissed again. "He _looks _like a like man, but he's not human. In your world, have you ever heard of _nixes_, or water spirits?"

_Nixes_, Veronica thought to herself, mulling the word over in her head. It sounded familiar, _very _familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Was it in a movie, a television show, somewhere on the internet, a book?

_Yes, a book_, she confirmed, and suddenly the memory rushed at her. It was a cold night in early December, and her father and Beth had gone out that night to celebrate the news of her pregnancy; despite impending examinations, Veronica agreed to watch Tegan until they returned home. She had read to her little sister that night from a copy of- what else- _Grimm's Fairy Tales_. Of course, she read the classics: _Snow White_, _Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel_, etc. But she had also read Tegan some less familiar stories, such as _The Twelve Brothers_, _The Peasant's Clever Daughter, _and _The Water Nixie_.

The latter was about a brother and sister who fell into a well, and were enslaved by the nixie. While the mystical being was at church, the siblings ran away, causing the nixie to chase them. To halt her, the girl threw a brush behind them, transforming into a mountain with thousands of spikes. The nixie crossed the spikes, but with great effort. Next, the brother threw a comb, transforming into a mountain range with thousands of teeth. Again, the nixie made it through with great effort.

The sister then threw a mirror, which became a glass mountain. The mountain was very slippery, too slippery for the nixie, so she decided that she would go back home and bring an axe where she could easily cut it in half. She did so, and when she returned and sliced it, the nixie discovered that the children had escaped her for good, and went back to her well.

Veronica frowned. "But I thought nixies were female?" She asked, thinking of the fairy tale.

"_Nixies_ are female, but they have a male counterpart, the _nixes_, or simply _nix_. Nixes inhabit water, but often come to the surface to look for victims to snare and drown. You can always tell a nix by the hems of his clothes; they're always wet, and they always wear red.

"Also, I know this is hard to explain, but ever since I became a cat, I have almost a 'sixth sense,' and now it's telling me that he is in _no way_ human," Edwin explained, his yellow-green eyes never leaving the fading figures of Bebe and Klaas.

While she didn't know much about nix, nixies, or whatever they're called, Veronica knew enough about cats, and even animals in general from all the research she did during high school, the peak of her 'animal rights activism' phase. Although animals didn't possess the intellect, reason, or even the ability to see in color like humans, they had other traits to make up for it; namely, the mentioned 'sixth sense,' as a survival instinct. Days before the giant tsunami hit Sri Lanka, there were reports that zoo animals had hid themselves in their shelters and refused to come out, and the strange behavior of animals led the officials of the Chinese city of Haicheng to evacuate the city in 1975, a large earthquake striking only a few days later and saving thousands of lives.

The color drained from Veronica's face as Edwin's words sank in, now softened from her previous knowledge. Finally, she also remembered where she was: a fairy tale world, where all the evils that her parents would tell her were never real were very much so here. "Nothing in this damn place is safe," she muttered.

Abruptly standing up, she continued to hold Edwin in her arms as she ran down the hill. "Bebe," Veronica called weakly, catching speed down the hill.

"BEBE!"

**-v-**

Fritz rubbed his eyes and sighed tiredly, pushing up his bifocals inadvertently with his hands. He had locked himself in the Grande Library of the castle since the early hours of the morning, studying every piece of material that pertained to either medicine or magic. The rational side of him said to rely only on the scientific books, for he was a medical man and doctor at heart, and believed in them whole heartedly.

However, Fritz reminded himself that this was not an ordinary case he was dealing with; he was a pioneer in the fairy anatomy, and knew that magic sometimes was the only cure for some ailments. Which led him to his current read: _Majick of the Heart_ by Helga the Horrible. It contained the perfect spells sparking love, making love, and crushing love, but Fritz had no use in 'love' in general; it wouldn't heal the Wicked Fairy's shattered nerves.

Sighing, Fritz closed the book and placed it on a small pile of others, all similarly themed. He placed them in his arms and walked from the desk back towards one of the incredible rows of books. Placing a free hand on the post of the moving ladder attached to the shelves, Fritz hopped onto the lowest step, the books still in his arms; he had perfected his technique during his schooling years, when he was doing his own research and, eventually, graduate papers.

He climbed, or rather, _hopped_, up the ladder, pausing at each accomplished step to catch his breath. Finally, near the top, Fritz began placing the books to their original place. As he finished, he felt his balance shake, causing him to hastily grab the leg of the ladder. His hand had caught onto several other books adjacent to him, pulling them from their place and dropped to the floor with several _thuds_.

"Oh, dragon droppings," Fritz cursed, staring at the fallen books momentarily before climbing back down.

When he finally reached the floor, he began picking up the books, glancing at the titles; his biggest pet peeve when researching through the library was that everything was at least 100 years out of date, one of many side effects of the Wicked Fairy's curse. However, one particular title caught Fritz' interest: _Recipes for the Witchy Soul_ by Anonymous. He checked the publishing date; there wasn't one.

The thick book still in hand, Fritz sat on the step of the ladder and opened the book, the pages yellowed and weathered. He briefly scanned several pages, flipping through them mindlessly; just another cooking book.

However, his hands paused at one page, the title popping out at him: _Your Little Majick Helper_. Fritz read the entire page thoroughly before the nauseous feeling that plagued him on his journey to the Sixth Kingdom returned, but he fought against it. His morality was shouting, _screaming_ at him relentlessly, _Say not _one word _to her; forget you ever saw this. The way her condition is, she will die eventually_.

_Ah, but not before _slaughtering_ you and your family_, his logical self argued back, Fritz's eyes never leaving the book. _Give her this, and she will be satiated. She won't have enough time to go forth with this and you will be looked at as a hero_.

The dwarf's fingers tightened around the book. _Are you willing to take that risk? Would you be able to live with yourself if she did survive and it was because of you?_

Fritz sighed one last time. His situation didn't concern just him; the Wicked Fairy had threatened his family, and he knew she would make good on his threats. He would sacrifice himself to help the people of the Nine Kingdoms, but he couldn't make that choice with his family.

Unfortunately, Fritz knew what heneeded do.

**-v- **

* * *

_Greetings, this is Hola-Meg-a-Cola, aka Meghan, once again. I swear, in case of sudden dire, I really will avoid putting another author's note at the bottom of a chapter again. I tried to pump out this chapter fast, while I had the time, as I'm currently on Spring Break. However, with all the work my professors gave me, I think I'm on borrowed time, so this will probably be my latest update for the next few months. However, if I get the time to write another chapter, then go me!_

_Would you believe that I only recently read the entire "House of Red" fan fiction? It's probably the most well known fan fiction in the '10th Kingdom' fandom, and I only read it now, after being a fan of the show since it premiered waaay back in 2000. And again, I'm on borrowed time! I must confess, although it was well versed and well though out, I really didn't care much for it. It was good, but it wasn't _that _good. I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but it's simply the truth._

_I've tried to read other fan fiction similar to the piece I'm writing now, since I do like future fics, but I really can't stand a lot of them. They make the OCs into such Mary Sues and Gary Stues that despite my best effot, I can't finish it. I'm trying not to do that with "The Reflection in the Mirror," or any of my fan fiction, and in my opinion, I think I'm doing a pretty good job._

_With that, it's about 2:30 am here in the (not so) great state of New Jersey, so I'm off._

_Love Always,  
Hola-Meg-a-Cola_


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

'It's a trap!'

**-v-**

"I can't believe you lost them!" Lukas growled, pacing around in a circle. He rubbed his nose and growled again, receiving frightened glances from some of the locals. His pacing stopped briefly, as he stared back at the gawkers. "What are you looking at?"

The gawkers turned away immediately, walking away. Ramón crossed his arms and groaned, his red hoodie now tied around his waist. "_I_ lost them? I was busy trying to keep up with you! If you hadn't been in such a damn rush, we could've kept in a group!" He said, frustrated.

Lukas continued his pacing; he had agreed with Edwin's sentiments about the Fifth Kingdom, and really had no desire to stay there for any longer. However, the two had been fortunate enough to find someone to take them out of the country that wasn't completely intoxicated- albeit, his wife- and would be leaving by dawn. Unfortunately, it took nearly two hours to find them, and now that the matter was taken care of, Lukas realized only then that most of the group was missing.

He ran his hands through his black hair. "I found someone to get us out of here, didn't I? All you had to do was keep an eye on Princey and the girls."

Ramón rolled his eyes, trying his best to keep his temper under control; he couldn't go and get physical with their guide to the Nine 'Wherever-the-hell-they-are.' He glanced back at the festival. "You found Edwin in Manhattan and it's twice the size of this place, but you can't find them now?"

"It's different here," Lukas began, "Manhattan just has superficial smells: smoke, the rivers, the irresistible smell of dirty water dogs. But the Nine Kingdoms are different; magic _pollutes_ the air, and it's so much thicker than anything Manhattan has. I'm pretty all right tracker, but I don't have the nose my father has, or any of my other relatives, for that matter."

_Great, so our guide is a fucking weirdo_. "All right, can we at least _try_ to find them?" Ramón suggested, finally losing his patience.

Lukas closed his eyes as he smelled the air, clearly distracted by the sweet smell of the sizzling meats. The smell teased his nostrils, enticing him to breath in the air once more. The pit of his stomach ached, craving the cooked sausage doused in garlic and relish, or perhaps the barbecued ribs laced with spices. Oh, but the grill lamb sautéed in pepper-

Edwin, and the girl, Veronica. It was faint, under the strong cooking and the natural magic that loomed over the town, but it was there. In fact, it was all across the large village, and he knew that he'd have to trace it as far as possible. Fortunately, the crowd was beginning to disperse, tired from the festival's weary activities that day.

Lukas began walking into the crowd again, sliding past the villagers as easily as before. "I picked something up; follow me!" He threw over his shoulder.

Ramón jogged behind Lukas, grunting as he bumped past people. _Veronica, you're lucky as hell we're best friends, with the shit I'm putting up with now_.

**-v-**

Veronica placed the small tray of fried pork on the cobblestone street, where Edwin sat patiently. He nearly lunged for the steaming meat, almost inhaling his food. "Mm, thank you, Veronica," Edwin said between bites, "Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?"

The dark haired girl smiled weakly and shook her head. "No thanks, I'm fine. I just can't believe you have _kogel mogel _here; I haven't had it in _years_," she stated, clearly amazed; the last time Veronica had the desert, she was seven years old and had a nasty sore throat. Her grandmother, who often played the role of the babysitter, concocted it that night and served it to her; sure enough, it eased her aching throat. In fact, Veronica decided then that once she found Tegan, she would make the dessert for her.

Frowning, Veronica thought about Bebe, or her lack of presence; she and Edwin had looked for her for nearly two hours and there was no sign of her. She didn't think it would be that hard to find her, until she realized how big the 'village' was. From everything that the prince had told her about nixes, she was especially in a rush to find Bebe. "Edwin, do you think he's…"

"No," he said immediately, looking up at her. "Not yet, at least. There are too many people around to attempt something like that. However, I don't think we have much more time."

With his nose, Edwin pushed the plate away, finished with his small meal. Veronica sighed and scooped the fluffy prince in her arms and walked down the open streets. Both men and women were wearing their best purple clothing, if they chose to wear any at all. She was still having her own troubles with the rampant nudity that plagued the country, blushing at some but mostly cringing and turning her head away.

Stopping short, Veronica stared at a large stone statue in the village center; it was of a bird- not a swan, for it was too ugly. "What is that?" she finally asked, still staring at the statue.

Edwin looked up at the statue, than at Veronica before stating, "Have you heard of the 'Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs?'"

Blinking, she glanced down at Edwin, then back at the large goose. "Get out of town," she said quietly, "I thought that was an Aesop's fable."

"Well, it's very much history here," Edwin explained, "Gansburg was where the goose had laid its eggs, attracting attention from the Naked Emperor; he was so impressed, he made it one of the most important towns in the Fifth Kingdom."

Veronica twisted her mouth at the mention of the word 'naked;' she had certainly seen enough of that today. "Oh God, the royalty's in on it, too?" She asked, almost disgusted.

Edwin laughed heartily, almost warmly. "In on it? The Emperor _inspired_ it! So you see, not only are the countrymen filthy barbarians, albeit they make _excellent_ food, but even the royalty and noblemen are on the same level. The House of White tries to avoid them at all costs, although they are an important ally."

There was a small silence between them, as the drunks shouted bar songs in the fields and mothers shooed their children inside for the night. Finally, Veronica found the nerve to ask, "You're really related to Snow White, aren't you?"

Edwin straightened himself out proudly. "And Cinderella; I would never make up claims that I can't verify. Snow White was my great-grandmother and the greatest monarch the Fourth Kingdom ever had, my father a close second," he told her, mystified by the tale himself.

Veronica nodded when something caught her eye. Through the thin crowd, the vividness of blond curls stuck out, belonging to the petite body of a young woman. What struck her the most was the woman was wearing pants, the only other female other than Veronica to do so.

Her eyes widened. "Bebe!" she called out, running immediately toward the girl.

Bebe turned around and smiled widely; in her arms was a finely crafted doll, with a rich purple dress made of velvet and matching curls to the girl's own. As Veronica and Edwin approached her, Klaas made himself more prominent, still as handsome as ever. "Hey V," Bebe stated happily, her smile never fading, "Look what Klaas bought for me!"

Veronica smiled the fake smile she usually saved for Ted; she just needed to make everything seem all right. "That's nice, B," she began and turned to Klaas. "Could you excuse us for just a minute? I'll give her right back, promise!" Grabbing onto Bebe's arm, Veronica pulled her off to the side of the cobblestone road, away from Klaas' earshot.

Bebe's smile was a bright as ever as she placed a curl behind her ear. "What's up, V?"

Sighing, Veronica thought of the proper way to say her thoughts to her best friend. Finally, she just gave up. "Bebe, we need to ditch Klaas."

The bright smile slowly faded, Bebe's eyebrows pushed together in concern. "I don't understand; he's been so nice to me," she reasoned, "Why would need to get away from him?"

No matter how she worded it, Veronica knew that her explanation would not sound right. Still, she tried, "Because… well, we think he's a, um… a _nixie_."

"_Nix_," Edwin corrected her, glaring viciously at Klaas. "And we _know_ he's one; all signs point to it."

Bebe blinked, her hands still holding tightly to the gorgeous doll, stroking the dress with the tips of her fingers. "A what?" She asked, her mouth hung open.

Veronica stepped closer, glancing at Klaas; the man, or rather, the nix stood there, still smiling and waving hello to people passing by. "A water spirit that enslaves children and _drowns_ others; he's using that human form to trick you, Bebe, and we gotta get out of here before we get near a body of water," she said in a low voice.

Sighing, Bebe turned away from her friend and stood in silence. "Veronica, guys always treat me like shit, you know that. I haven't had a real boyfriend in over a year," she finally said, turning back to her with a pensive gaze. "We're finally in a fairytale where chivalry _isn't_ dead, and a guy treated me great for just a couple of hours. Why are you trying to ruin that?"

"_Because_ the knights in shining armor never come until something _bad_ happens to the helpless heroine!" Veronica said through her teeth. "Do you remember what happens in fairytales, Bebe? Women try to kill their stepchildren, witches eat kids, crazy gnome people steal babies! B, let's just try to find the guys and get out of this place."

Bebe stepped backwards, shaking her head slowly. "I'll find you guys later, after I say goodbye to Klaas," she announced, her voice shaky and turned away, walking back to Klaas. Her smile returned again as Klaas led her away from the village and toward the thick, green forest, her arm in his.

The shrill cat calls and laughter of young boys caught Veronica's attention, and she turned to two adolescent boys, no older than twelve. "What the hell are you laughing at?" She inquired sternly, startling the boys. Their smiles faded and they looked away, pretending not to notice her.

Placing Edwin down, Veronica grabbed the boys' arms harshly, enticing surprise and anger from them. "Hey, let me go!" the first boy with a freckled face and messy red hair shouted, attempting to pull away. The other boy with olive skin and dark brown hair tried running away, calling out, "I'm getting my dad; he'll be _so _mad at you!"

Veronica pulled them toward her, knocking them off their feet. She glared at each boy, each getting their share of her steely look. "I don't care you get the Naked Emperor here himself; I'm not letting go until you tell me what you thought was _so damn funny_!"

The freckled boy relented, looking down at the ground. "The woman you were just talking to and the man- where they're going, you _know_ something's gonna happen," he explained, grinning wickedly and began laughing again.

His olive skinned friend laughed as well, adding, "That guy _has_ to be a nix; my grandmother warned me about them. It makes sense that that would be his 'spot.' Woo!"

Veronica shook the boys violently, turning their laughter back to aggravation; she had no time for games. "What is this 'spot,' and why does that make sense?" she asked again.

The olive skinned boy frowned, still trying to pull away. "Just the spring," he explained, "But my older brother says that's the main place to do some 'k-i-s-s-i-n-g,' if you know what I mean."

Getting her answer, Veronica threw them back toward the ground, having no other use for them. She turned to Edwin. "Ed, go and find Ramón and Lukas and get them to that spring ASAP. I'm gonna find Bebe and make sure she doesn't end up dead!"

Grabbing onto her ponytail, she pulled out her black hair band and continued, "Take this and give it to Lukas; he'll be able to track me down faster." Taking her hair band into his mouth, Edwin dashed off into the crowd, leaping through people's legs.

Veronica stood up and then followed the pair's trail into the woods, hoping desperately that she would catch them in time.

**-v-**

"His majesty and the queen are getting quite worried," Lord Duckworth announced to House of White's most trusted advisors. It was commonplace to meet every week and discuss the issues and current events of the Fourth Kingdom. However, this week, there had been a sudden change of topic when Lord Duckworth had interrupted Lord Nimble's concerns about the new black magic market that was being fueled by several evil witches with the worries of Prince Edwin and his 'disappearance.'

Of course, he had told his father's advisors that he was improving his tracking skills and was not to be bothered, but the men had figured he would at least send word back to them. "We haven't from him in a week's time, and the queen has become unsettled about this," Duckworth continued, his wrinkled jaw tightened.

One of the other advisors, the Duke of Hubbard stood up from his seat, stating, "First and foremost, the prince's absence must be kept silent; after all, there is a reason our great king is out of the country." The advisors agreed grimly; the threat of the Ice Queen was becoming unbearable, and to secure allies, King Wendell had been visiting the royals of all the friendly Nine Kingdoms, his current visit in the First Kingdom with his cousin Queen Rosabella, who had succeeded the throne after Cinderella had passed away ten years before.

"Surely we can send somebody to find him," Count Horner suggested, attempting to calm down his fellow advisors. The count was one of the younger members of King Wendell's advisors, receiving his position with his positive attitude and passion for his country.

Another younger advisor, the Earl of MacDonald, shook his head. "We've already sent out our best horsemen," he explained, clasping his hands. "They can't find him."

Lord Grundy cleared his throat. "What do you propose we say to the queen then, in light of this?" He asked, his withered voice matching his elder appearance.

"I'll tell you what we shall tell her," a feminine voice chimed, and all twelve advisors turned to the threshold of the door where a small young lady stood, her auburn hair pulled elegantly into a bun. She walked into the room, her light blue dress trailing behind her. Her eyes glanced at each advisor before turning to Lord Duckworth and the Duke of Hubbard.

Lord Duckworth bowed graciously. "You have a suggestion, your majesty?" He asked with great respect.

Standing at the front of the room, the girl held her head high, her hazel eyes gleaming. "You will tell King Wendell and Queen Irene that Prince Edwin, is simply working on his tracking skills has he informed us a week previously, and that you're sure it's because of the poor communication system in the countryside. You will dually note in the letter that this event has convinced the advisors more than ever those issues with the outer provinces _must_ be addressed in order to prevent such problems from occurring again. Will that do?"

The older men grumbled their responses, rising from their chairs and making their way out of the room. Lord Duckworth and the Duke of Hubbard were the last two to leave, all but one; the man was older, his hair silver and slicked back. As he stood up, he found difficulty with his growing stomach. The wide cheeked man smiled at the young princess. "You know how to drive people out of a room, Ophelia."

Princess Ophelia smiled weakly, her hands on her waist. "They're fools at heart, panicking easily. Someone had to do something."

The older man laughed, his large hand grasping his cane. "No kidding," he agreed when his expression turned grim. "Do you really believe that story, that he's working on his 'tracking skills' out in the middle of nowhere?"

Ophelia sighed, and sat on one of the abandoned seats, her hands resting in the blue fabric. "I have to, Lord Antony; it's all I have. So, until he has told me otherwise, I must convince the advisors of that." Although he was eight years older than her, Edwin and Ophelia had always been close; it was he who urged her not to be like any of the royal women and be obedient. '_Never change, Lia_,' he had said, '_If you do, then you really aren't the girl I thought you were_.'

Lord Anthony Lewis patted Ophelia's shoulder, still leaning against his cane; arthritis was beginning to pain him, and the Nine Kingdoms offered no other means of dealing with it other than with some magic as an opiate and a cane. "I hope you're right, dear, for your family's sake."

The princess smiled gently. "Me, too."

**-v-**

Bebe pushed the stray tree branch from her path, still clutching the beautiful doll in her arms. She didn't like being at odds with Veronica; the two had known each other their entire lives and they rarely fought. In fact, Bebe was like the sister Veronica never had for most of her life, until her mother became pregnant with Tegan.

Still, she didn't see why Veronica had to make such wild accusations about Klaas. He had done nothing to indicate ill intentions; yes, she was sure Veronica was just being paranoid like she always was around her. True, Bebe had made some bad judgments that Veronica had warned her about, but she wasn't right _all_ the time.

"Oh!" Bebe said involuntarily, pausing. In front of her was a small waterfall, the water flowing over the rocks and into the spring. Its quiet flow surprised Bebe; her family was working class at best, and the closest thing she had been to nature was New Jersey.

Klaas looked at the spring, then back at her. "You like it?" He asked, his hand placed on her shoulder.

Bebe's brown eyes glistened. "I've never seen anything like it," she whispered, stepping closer to it, "It's beautiful. Thank you, Klaas."

Suddenly becoming serious, Bebe turned to him. "No, really, thank you, Klaas. No one has ever done so much for me my entire life let alone a couple of hours, excluding my parents. I'm glad I was able to meet you," she affirmed, smiling gently.

Klaas' fingers gently played with a loose strand of Bebe's hair. He looked back at the spring. "Want to swim in it? Everyone does it; it's great."

She laughed. "Thanks but no thanks," Bebe answered, "If I just jump in, it'll fuck up my hair extensions."

He pulled her arm with him, causing her to step closer to the spring. "Come on, one little dip; I won't ever see you again, the least we can do it go for a swim," Klaas urged, holding his red cap to his head as he pulled Bebe.

Bebe thought over his offer for a moment before placing down the doll he had bought for her. "You live only once," she said to herself, taking off her denim jacket and slipping off her white sneakers. She pulled off her white socks, stuffing them into her shoes.

As she began unbuckling her white belt around her waist, Bebe heard the approaching footsteps from the path in the forest. She paused, her heart jumping into her throat. To her surprise, Veronica appeared in the clearing, her green messenger bag decorated in black strips banging at her side and her dark gray baja in her arms.

Veronica stopped, catching her breath. Her gray blue eyes widened, causing her to stand up straight. "Bebe," she shouted, suddenly sprinting again, "Watch out, it's a trap!"

Bebe's head turned immediately to Klaas, and shrieked in horror; no longer the handsome man at the festival, his skin was now a deathly pale color, almost a light green. His skin was rough, almost as if was covered in scales. The girl stepped away, her hand over her mouth.

Grabbing her arm, Klaas dragged her toward the spring, no longer gently or playfully; Bebe slid across the grassy bank, screaming helplessly as she attempted to hold place by digging her heels into the ground.

Dropping her bag and baja, Veronica ran towards Bebe as Klaas entered the water, brining Bebe with him. Veronica dived onto the ground, grabbing Bebe's free hand before she was completely underwater. She tightened her grip. "Bebe, keep holding onto me," she pleaded, doing her best to keep Bebe above water.

Bebe nodded her head, attempting to shake Klaas' grip from her. Hit was tight around her arm, hurting her. She kicked his body repeatedly, placing her foot on his shoulder and kicking off it. She felt Veronica pulling her from the water, keeping her head from sinking under. Bebe could hear Klaas' growls emitted from under the water. She cursed herself for being so stupid as to believe some stranger in a world she had only been in for fifteen minutes, that she was that gullible.

Veronica pulled Bebe onto the bank, allowing her to realize that Klaas' grip on her was gone. Hoisting her legs upwards, she managed to pull her entire body out of the spring. Veronica helped her out, rubbing her back as Bebe coughed up the water that had infiltrated her lungs. Bebe wiped the water from her brow, although it did little to help, as her entire body was wet.

Still coughing, Bebe looked to Veronica. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you V," she apologized between coughs, "I really just wanted to be treated nice, _special_…"

Her friend rubbed her back, smiling weakly. "Let's talk about this later, B," she replied, standing up. Veronica held out her hands to Bebe, who graciously took them and was pulled up, standing on her feet. Bebe walked past her friend; she had enough of the spring for one day.

Veronica began walking behind when she felt a tight grip around her own ankle. Her body was pulled from her balance, causing her to fall flat onto the bank. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Klaas from the spring, his hand grabbing her ankle and pulling her into the water. Veronica clawed at the bank, her fingers running through the wet mud.

Bebe's screamed as she saw Veronica slide into the water, and ran back to the edge. She barely touched Veronica's hand when she disappeared under the clear water, several air bubbles bobbing at the surface.

The blond girl stared at the water for a long time, blinking only once. "Veronica?" she asked weakly, her hand reaching into the water for something, anything, but came up with nothing. The hot tears began rolling down Bebe's cold face.

"VERONICA!"

**-v-**

* * *

_All right, all right, I said I wouldn't do one of these again, but it'll be quick. I'm just surprised that I pumped this out right before my break was over. It's probably because I did that instead of my homework XD_

_I was at work yesterday and was cleaning the diningroom when "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum played. I immediately thought of the '10th Kingdom' and was happy ._

_Until next time._

_Yours truly,  
Meghan aka Hola-Meg-a-Cola_


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